The Circassians in Syria are the Circassian community in Syria, an ethnic minority in that country. Originating from the Caucasus region, they moved to Syria after a forced migration to the Ottoman Empire resulting from the Russian invasion in the early 1860s. Most estimates put the Circassian population at around 100,000. They are predominantly Sunni Muslims. While they have become an increasingly assimilated part of Syrian society, they have maintained a distinct identity, having retained their Adyghe language (in addition to Arabic), their tribal heritage and some of their traditional customs.