#lazpeople #lazlanguage lazalphabet

WHO İS LAZ?
Laz are one of the Caucasian ethnic groups. During the ancient period, the ancestors of the Laz were called “Colchians” and their country “Colchis”. The Laz people’s ancestors Colchians established the Lazika Empire in the 1st century A.D.
The Lazika Empire was established in the region now known as “Samargalo”, in the west of Georgia. Its capital city was Zugdidi. The geography where the Lazika Empire was founded witnessed the Byzantine-Persian and later the Ottoman-Russian wars. The Empire collapsed in the 6th century A.D. as a result of the Byzantine-Persian wars.
After the collapse of the Lazika Empire, Laz people continued their existence autonomously within the Empire of Trebizond between 1204 and 1461. In the early 1500’s, they entered under the domination of the Ottoman Empire. As of the 16th century, they converted into Islam as a result of the Islamization policies of the Ottoman Empire. Today, it is possible to come across with church ruins in almost every town where the Laz people reside in. Additionally, the mosques which were built during the Ottoman period have a local identity.
During the Ottoman Empire period, Laz people lived within the autonomous administrative structure called as the “Lazistan Sanjak” (one of the administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire).
During the Ottoman-Russian War that took place in 1877-1878, thousands of Laz people had to emigrate. Emigrants of the war were placed in the Marmara Region of Turkey. The Lazistan Sanjak was abolished during the first years of the Turkish Republic.
Today, the Laz people live in the Eastern Black Sea Region, where they have been settled as autochthonous (indigenous) people of the geography throughout the history. Furthermore, the Laz have emigrated to big cities for various reasons during the Turkish Republic period.
The places of settlement for the Laz are Pazar (Atina), Ardeşen (Arthaşeni), Çamlıhemşin (ViJa), Fındıklı (Vitze), Arhavi (Arkabi), Hopa (Xopa) and Borçka. A small proportion of the total Laz population reside in Georgia. However, similarly with the Laz people settled in Turkey, it is getting harder for the Laz in Georgia to preserve their language and culture.
Georgians, Turks, Hamshenis, Mingrelians and Pontic Greeks are the historical neighbours of the Laz people. The geography of the Laz settlement areas own sloping lands.
Sloping lands, rainy weather, abundance of water resources and the plant flora of the geography has created a unique lifestyle and affected the settlement pattern.

LAZLAR KİMDİR?

Lazlar, Kafkas halklarından biridir. Antik dönemde Lazların atalarına Kolh, ülkelerine Kolkhis deniliyordu. M.S 1. yy’da Lazika Krallığını kurdular. Lazika Krallığının merkezi …Lazika Krallığı, Bizans - Pers savaşlarından dolayı M.S 6. yy’da yıkıldı. 1204’e kadar Bizans egemenliğinde yaşadılar. 1204 -1461 arasında Trabzon Krallığı içinde, özerk olarak varlıklarını sürdürdüler. 1500’lu yılların başında Osmanlı Egemenliğine girdiler.16. yy’dan itibaren Müslümanlaşmaya başladılar. Osmanlı idaresi boyunca Lazistan Sancağı olarak bilinen idari yapı içinde yaşadılar. 1877-78 Osmanlı-Rus Harbi’nde onbinlerce Laz, Rus işgali altındaki bölgelerden kaçarak Marmara Bölgesine göç etti.

Belgesel Ekibi:
ERTAN ALTAN
ADNAN AVCI
AYŞENUR EMER
SESLENDİREN: MİHRİBAN YAŞAR MÇ̌APUTOLİŞİ
MÜZİK: İSMAİL AVCI İSMANAŞİ
EKİPMAN VE DRONE GÖRÜNTÜLERİ: AZMİ KARADENİZ

LAZ ENSTİTÜSÜ - LAZURİ ENSTİTU - LAZ INSTITUTE

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