Abstract

Georgia is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state where the dominant Orthodox Church (83.4% of the population) shapes national identity and often marginalises ethnic and religious minorities. As most non-dominant religious groups, Azerbaijani Muslims in Georgia face challenges related to the construction and management of religious infrastructure, including strict state regulations, limited official recognition, and restrictions on building mosques.

This study examines how the Azerbaijani minority establishes, maintains, and uses religious spaces through grassroots activism, private initiatives, and transnational support. In response to the lack of official permission, some communities convert private homes into mosques without minarets, creating semi-formal (uncertain-status) yet functional religious spaces. Others face long-term procedures and other obstacles to build and register the mosques. At the same time, official religious authorities regulate imam appointments, pay salaries, and coordinate with external actors such as the Azerbaijani SOCAR (The State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan), through its Georgian representative, for material support, including gas supplies.

By analysing the interplay between informal, community-driven initiatives and formal, state or institutionally sanctioned structures, this research highlights the complex dynamics of religious life for Azerbaijani Muslims in Georgia. It explores how religious infrastructure not only preserves cultural identity and encourages religious development, but also reflects broader social and political negotiations, the limits of minority rights, and the role of transnational actors in supporting these communities.

The presentation will focus on the tension between grassroots improvisation and institutional regulation, the creation of mosques, the negotiation with local authorities, and the involvement of international actors, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, and Russia, in sustaining religious infrastructure. This approach illuminates how Azerbaijani Muslims navigate legal, social, and material constraints while asserting their religious and cultural presence in Georgia.

The presentation is based on long-term field research conducted between 2024 and 2026 within the project: “Religious Domains of Infrastructure and its Role Among Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Georgia.”