The Jewish community of Azerbaijan, composed of about 7,200 Jews, includes various subgroups, mainly Mountain Jews, Georgian Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, Kurdish Jews, and Bukharian Jews, among others. The Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan are neither Sephardim (from the Iberian Peninsula) nor Ashkenazim (from Germany and Eastern Europe) but rather they trace their lineage to the Jews of the Persian Empire. Mountain Jews tenaciously held to their religion throughout the centuries, developing their own unique traditions and religious practices, which are infused with teachings of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. The Azerbaijan affiliate of the World Jewish Congress is the Baku Religious Community of European Jews.