The Assyrians are an indigenous ethnic group which have historically inhabited a contiguous geographical area spanning adjacent parts of northern Iraq, north-western Iran, south-eastern Türkiye, and north-eastern Syria (effectively Assyria and northern Mesopotamia). A plurality of those who identify as Assyrians today adhere to Christianity, including a number of denominations, united through ancestry and language.

The Assyrian language, also commonly known as Syriac or Neo-Aramaic, is further divided into two primary dialect groups, with Assyrians linguistically categorised as speaking either “western” or “eastern” Syriac. They consider themselves to be the Traditional Owners, custodians, and stewards of a millennia-old unbroken legacy.