The Circassian honour guards' Commander, Ayman Yacoub, and Assistant Commander, Hytham Hakho, stand with other members at the royal court in Amman, Jordan. Photos: Reuters
'The roles and responsibilities of the Circassian guards revolve around the presence of his majesty, the crown prince or the king’s deputy, in royal palaces and courts', says Commander Yacoub
'King Abdullah I was really impressed with them, he told them to remain in their areas, Amman and its suburbs, the city centre', says former commander Ghazi Kasem
Mr Kasem says the king issued a decree for this group to become special royal guards in 1921
Circassians came from the Caucasus in 1864 until 1920. They were a group of 40 soldiers who guarded Shariff Abdullah the first, says Assistant Commander Hakho
Assistant Commander Hakho looks on as other members train on horses at the royal court in Amman. 'Circassians were all knights and fighters so horses and swords were inevitably present', he says
A member of the Circassian honour guards fixes his hat
Over one hundred years later, the Circassian knights still guard Jordan's current king, the crown prince, or the king’s deputy, when they are in the royal palaces or courts. The guards mainly play a ceremonial role
Displaced from the Caucasus in 1864, Circassians were among the first to settle in the Jordanian capital Amma Members of the Circassian honour guards walk at the royal court in Amman
The guards still adhere to their ancient traditions and adorn Circassian costume and train with swords and horses
Military training for the guards includes various forms of fighting and shooting, Hakho says
Groups of Circassians started settling in Jordan in the late 1800s and continued until the early 1900s, according to historians
Deportations and turmoil led to the exodus of Circassians, an indigenous people of the North Caucasus, and their seven million or so descendants to various parts of the world
Members of the Circassian honour guard gesture at Jordanian members of the military at the royal court in Amman, Jordan.
