Genetic studies show that the Azerbaijani ethnicity is a complex mix of Turkic, Persian, and indigenous Caucasian roots, with a minimal genetic connection to Mountain Jews. The people’s Turkic identity is largely a result of a language shift following medieval migrations, while their genetic makeup is primarily rooted in native populations. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Indigenous Caucasian and Iranian roots The oldest and most substantial genetic component of the Azerbaijani people comes from indigenous populations of the Caucasus and ancient Iranian peoples. • Indigenous Caucasian population: Genetic markers strongly link modern Azerbaijanis to the native populations of the eastern Transcaucasia region.

Genetic studies show that the Azerbaijani ethnicity is a complex mix of Turkic, Persian, and indigenous Caucasian roots, with a minimal genetic connection to Mountain Jews. The people’s Turkic identity is largely a result of a language shift following medieval migrations, while their genetic makeup is primarily rooted in native populations. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 
Indigenous Caucasian and Iranian roots The oldest and most substantial genetic component of the Azerbaijani people comes from indigenous populations of the Caucasus and ancient Iranian peoples.

• Indigenous Caucasian population: Genetic markers strongly link modern Azerbaijanis to the native populations of the eastern Transcaucasia region. Early inhabitants included groups like the Caucasian Albanians, whose ancient language may be a precursor to languages still spoken today, such as Udi.
• Ancient Iranian tribes: Before the Turkic migrations, the region was heavily influenced by Iranian empires like the Medes and Sassanians, whose presence dates back more than 3,000 years. Genetic studies show that Iranian and Caucasian populations are more closely related to each other than to more distant ethnic groups.
• Cultural and linguistic legacy: This Iranian heritage is reflected in shared cultural practices, place names, and the extinct Old Azari language, which belonged to the Iranian language family. [1, 2, 5, 6, 7] 

Later Turkic influence The Turkic heritage of Azerbaijanis is primarily a linguistic and cultural, rather than a genetic, influence.

• Oghuz Turkic migration: Beginning in the 11th century with the Seljuq conquest, waves of Oghuz Turkic tribes from Central Asia settled in the region. This led to a gradual process of “Turkification,” where the local Iranian and Caucasian populations adopted the Turkic language.
• Significant, but limited, genetic impact: While the migrations introduced a Turkic genetic component, particularly along the paternal (Y-chromosome) lineage, the indigenous genetic substrate remained dominant. Studies estimate the Central Asian genetic contribution to modern Azerbaijanis to be limited, with one study suggesting roughly 18% on the female side and 32% on the male side.
• Linguistic replacement: The genetic evidence indicates that the Turkic language replaced the local Iranian languages without a major displacement of the native population. [2, 8, 9, 10, 11] 

Minimal genetic link to Mountain Jews The genetic connection between the Azerbaijani people as a whole and the Mountain Jews is minimal.

• Distinct origin: The Mountain Jews are a small, distinct group living predominantly in Azerbaijan and Russia’s Dagestan. Their genetic roots trace back to the Near East, sharing common ancestry with other Jewish diaspora communities. They likely migrated from Persia to the Caucasus during the Sasanian era.
• Not Turkic: Genetic testing has revealed no significant Turkic component in the DNA of Mountain Jews, despite their long residence in the Caucasus.
• Shared cultural space: While living in the same region and developing a unique culture with Azerbaijani influences, there is no evidence of a strong genetic link between the two distinct populations. [12, 13, 14, 15, 16] 

Diverse and mixed population Multiple studies confirm that the Azerbaijani ethnicity is a mixed population, reflecting its position as a historical crossroads.

• Azerbaijanis cluster genetically with neighboring populations in the Caucasus, Iran, and the Near East more closely than with other Turkic-speaking peoples.
• The genetic diversity among Azerbaijani populations can even vary depending on geographic location, reflecting regional isolation and migration patterns over time. [2, 17, 18, 19, 20] 

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin…
[2]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerba…
[3]  facebook.com/groups/persianv…
[4]  tiktok.com/@worldgenetics/vi…
[5]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerba…
[6]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin…
[7]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin…
[8]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerba…
[9]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerba…
[10]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin…
[11]  biweekly.ada.edu.az/vol_5_no…
[12]  khazaria.com/mountainjews.ht…
[13]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mounta…
[14]  newlinesmag.com/essays/how-t…
[15]  tabletmag.com/sections/news/…
[16]  ceeol.com/content-files/docu…
[17]  study.com/academy/lesson/aze…
[18]  jewisheritage.org/jewish-her…
[19]  pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article…
[20]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin…

The genetic studies of the Azerbaijani ethnicity: heavy mix of the Turkish, Persian, and the Mountain Jews roots – Google Search  google.com/search?q=The+gene…

When did Azeris become Turkified? Do most Azeris have genetic ancestors coming from Central Asia? –
quora.com/When-did-Azeris-be…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 21, 2025