Zaza DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Turkey · West Asia
The Zaza people live mainly in eastern Turkey, around Dersim (Tunceli), Bingol, Elazig and Diyarbakir, and speak Zazaki, a Northwestern Iranian language distinct from Kurmanji Kurdish. Many Zazas also identify as Kurds, while others see themselves as a separate people. In our model, the Zaza average is 32.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmer and 31.5% Iranian Neolithic farmer, almost in balance, with 12.7% steppe, 12.5% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 6.6% Natufian and 4.6% Levantine Neolithic. Compared with the broader average on our Kurdish page, Zazas carry more Anatolian farmer ancestry (32.1% against 24.3%), in line with a homeland in the upper Euphrates basin on the western side of the eastern highlands, and much less Levantine Neolithic ancestry (4.6% against 13.6%). The closest modern averages are other Zaza samples, Dersim Kurds and Alevis, Kurmanji Kurds and Yazidis. The closest ancient group is Iron Age Hasanlu in northwestern Iran (distance 0.0199), followed by Achaemenid-era Bakr Awa in Iraq.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 32.1%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 31.5%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 12.7%
- Closest modern population in our data: Kurd Zaza (Turkey), distance 0.0043
- Closest ancient group in our data: Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile), distance 0.0199
Where does Zaza DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Zaza individuals sampled in Turkey, listed in the G25 sheet as "Kurdish_Zaza" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Zaza average
The ancient make-up of the Zaza average is led by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (32.1%), followed by Iranian Neolithic farmers (31.5%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (12.7%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Iranian Neolithic farmers share (31.5%) reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
Smaller traces of Levantine Neolithic farmers (under 5%) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.030): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Anadolu – Anatolian Crossroads Report
Closest modern populations to Zaza
Genetically, the Zaza average sits nearest to Kurd Zaza (Turkey) at 0.004, Kurdish Zaza (Dersim) at 0.006 and Kurdish (Turkey Dersim) at 0.009. On our scale, a distance of 0.004 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Kurd Zaza (Turkey) (0.004), Alevi (Dersim) (0.009) and Kurd Kurmanji (Turkey) (0.010). Even the tenth closest, Lak (Turkey), is only 0.016 away: Zaza belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurd Zaza (Turkey) | 0.0043 | Very close |
| 2 | Kurdish Zaza (Dersim) | 0.0061 | Very close |
| 3 | Kurdish (Turkey Dersim) | 0.0089 | Very close |
| 4 | Alevi (Dersim) | 0.0089 | Very close |
| 5 | Kurd Kurmanji (Turkey) | 0.0096 | Very close |
| 6 | Yazidi | 0.0115 | Very close |
| 7 | Kurd (Iraq) | 0.0117 | Very close |
| 8 | Shabak (Iraq) | 0.0121 | Very close |
| 9 | Kurdish | 0.0122 | Very close |
| 10 | Lak (Turkey) | 0.0162 | Very close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Zaza
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Zaza average is Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile) (Iron Age), at 0.020. Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Zagrosian Profile) and Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) come next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0199 |
| 2 | Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Zagrosian Profile) | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0224 |
| 3 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0230 |
| 4 | Iran MBA-IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0261 |
| 5 | Armenia Hellenistic Aghitu (Orontid) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0265 |
| 6 | Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0266 |
| 7 | Armenia Achaemenid-Hellenistic Karmir Blur (Orontid) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0291 |
| 8 | Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0293 |
| 9 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Mesopotamian/Armenian Highland Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0306 |
| 10 | Iran Medieval Ganj Dareh | Medieval, c. 500-1500 AD | 0.0307 |
Ancient DNA from Turkey
Our ancient DNA database holds 709 individuals excavated in present-day Turkey, dated from about 13,461 BC to 1573 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are J2a (68), G2a (60) and T1a (23), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are K1 (93), N1 (43) and T2 (43). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Zaza population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Turkey
- Out-of-Anatolia: Cultural and genetic interactions during the Neolithic expansion in the Aegean (2025)
- Female lineages and changing kinship patterns in Neolithic Çatalhöyük (2025)
- Identification of Haplogroups and Molecular Markers in Skeletal Samples Excavated from the Ancient City of Resuloglu (Ugurludag, Çorum) (2025)
- Inequality at the Dawn of the Bronze Age: The Case of Basur Höyük, a ‘Royal’ Cemetery at the Margins of the Mesopotamian World (2025)
- The cranium from the Octagon in Ephesos (2025)
- The genetic structure of the Turkish population reveals high levels of variation and admixture (2021)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 709 from Turkey.
Compare yourself with Zaza
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Zaza average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Zaza and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Zaza individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Zaza. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Zaza average. Your own DNA has its own story: Anadolu – Anatolian Crossroads Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for the peoples of Anatolia: six era models from Neolithic Barcın and the Hittite Bronze Age through Byzantine Anatolia, with the signature Medieval Turkic Arrival % (the Seljuk-era Central Asian layer, the closest measurable...
More populations from West Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Zaza?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Zaza average is about 32.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 31.5% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 12.7% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Zaza?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Kurdish Zaza (Dersim)), the closest modern populations to the Zaza average are Kurd Zaza (Turkey), Alevi (Dersim) and Kurd Kurmanji (Turkey). The closest ancient matches are Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile), Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Zagrosian Profile) and Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Zaza?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Zaza average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Zaza ancestry?
For the Zaza average, the regional report to choose is Anadolu – Anatolian Crossroads Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.