The Official Religions Of South Ossetia
South Ossetia, a country in the Caucasus whose claim for independence has caused conflict in the recent past, has three main religions. South Ossetians are primarily Orthodox Christians, though there are sizable portions of the population who practice Islam or who practice Ossetian traditional religions. Christianity was introduced to what is now South Ossetia in the beginning of the 10th century, while Islam was introduced in the 17th century. Due to the influence of their Georgian Orthodox Christian neighbours, the Christians in South Ossetia gradually became Orthodox during the 12th and 13th centuries. Native religious traditions are also still in practice by some members of the South Ossetian population. Pagan temples still exist in many villages, and the veneration of non-Christian saints is practiced by some South Ossetians. and various pagan and traditional religious groups are linked together via the organization Etseg Din. Overall, while Christianity is the the largest religion, Islam and native practices are still commonplace in South Ossetia today.