Bilen people


The Bilen are a Cushitic ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They are primarily concentrated in central Eritrea, in and around the city of Keren and further south toward Asmara, the nation's capital.

Overview

According to local oral tradition, the Bilin migrated to the Eritrean plateau from the south around the tenth or eleventh century. They then mixed with the prior Tigre population. Some of the Bilen entered Eritrea from Ethiopia during the 16th century. Primarily agriculturalists, they number about 96,000 and represent around 2.1% of Eritrea's population.

Religion

The Bilen practice both Islam and Christianity. Muslim adherents mainly inhabit rural areas and have intermingled with the adjacent Tigre, while Christian Bilen tend to reside in urban areas and have intermingled with the Biher-Tigrinya. Sunni Islam is the most adhered religion among the Bilin followed by Christianity of various denominations, and a few practice their traditional faith. The religious diversity of the Bilin has and is currently been peacefully coexisting for much time with little conflict arising out of religious differences.

Language

The Bilen speak the Bilen language as a mother tongue, which belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Many also speak other Afro-Asiatic languages such as Tigre and Tigrinya. In addition, younger Bilen often employ Arabic words and expressions in their everyday speech.