Bushnak

Bushnak (Arabic: بشناق, meaning "Bosnian" or "Bosniak", also transliterated Bushnaq, Boshnak, Bouchenak and Bouchnak) is a surname common among Levantines and Saudis (Hejazis) of Bosniak origin.[1][2] Those sharing this surname are the descendants of Bosniaks apprehensive of living under Christian rule after the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, who immigrated to Ottoman Syria.

Bushnaks
The Bosniak mosque in Caesarea, Israel
Regions with significant populations
Syria, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Bosniaks in Turkey
Bosniaks in Syria

While not originally from one family, most Bosniaks who immigrated to the Levant adopted Bushnak as a common surname, attesting to their origins. Bushnak is also used colloquially among Palestinians to refer to someone who is fair-skinned and good-looking.[1]

History

Some Bosnian movement to Palestine occurred when Bosniak soldiers were brought to Palestine in the late 1800s to provide reinforcements for the Ottoman army.[1]

More substantial movement occurred after 1878, when the Austro-Hungarian empire, ruled by the House of Habsburg, occupied Bosnia. Bosniak emigration continued through this period, escalating after the Austro-Hungarian's 1908 annexation of Bosnia. Many immigrated to parts of what is now modern Turkey, while a smaller number settled in Ottoman Syria (modern Syria, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan).

Bosnian immigrants settled predominantly in villages in the parts of the present day West Bank and Israel: Caesarea, Yanun, Nablus and Tulkarem. Their descendants still live in these villages, their Bosnian heritage reflected in the Arab surname of Bushnak.[1][2]

Notable people bearing the surname

Bushnak

Bushnaq

Bouchnak

Boushnak

See also

Notes and references
  1. Amira Hass (25 October 2002). "It's the pits". Original in Haaretz, reprinted by Ta'ayush. Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
  2. Ibrahim al-Marashi. "The Arab Bosnians?: The Middle East and the Security of the Balkans" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved 2008-11-12.

Bibliography
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