Dom People - Distribution

Distribution

The majority of the estimated population of 2.2 million live in Turkey, Egypt and Iran with significant numbers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Smaller populations are found in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Syria and other countries of the Middle East.

The actual population is unknown as some Dom are excluded from national censuses and others label themselves in national terms rather than as Dom. Nowadays, they speak the dominant languages of their larger societies, but Domari, their national language, continues to be spoken by more insular communities. Iranians and Afghans called them gurbati or kouli, both of which mean "foreigners". The Iranian singer, Googoosh made a song "Koeli", where she mentions the Dom people, the gypsies of Iran. Another group of Dom origin found in Iran are the Lori, who are found in the Baloch regions of south east Iran. Doms also exist in Pakistan controlled Gilgit-Baltistan in small numbers as well as Chitral, Swat, Kohistan and Ladakh regions of Pakistan and India. In Gilgit, Dom are coupled with the Kameen and Mons, who are also musicians, blacksmith and do similar menial jobs.

There's a large concentration of Dom/Gypsies in Jordan, researchers claim that "They accommodate Arab racism by hiding their ethnic identity." As they wouldn't be accepted into Arabian society once their true identity is revealed.