Lazistan Sanjak

Lazistan ( Ottoman لازستان ) is the name of an Ottoman district, who was the Vilayet of Trebizond belonging and partly autonomously. The name is derived from the Laz, a South Caucasian people who are known to the public only a little. Until 1461 the territory conquered and Islamized by Mehmed II, it was part of the Empire of Trebizond and was dominated Christian.

Nowadays Lazistan is largely part of the Turkish Republic and its population is well integrated by the tea industry in the state structure. Ottoman territory names as Lazistan and Kurdistan are legally ineffective.

A historical reference to the Kingdom Lasika but also to Colchis is given, even if minority and poor, mainly due to hikes, not in the narrow confines of the geographical definition of the Sanjak Lazistan is writable. For a complete ethnic consideration for at least some major parts of southwestern Georgia must be added.

The center of the Sanjak was initially Batumi, after the surrender of the city to the Russians, however, Rize became the new capital.