The Laz (Lazuri: Lazepe) are one of the oldest indigenous peoples of the Black Sea coast, with a history stretching back thousands of years to the ancient kingdom of Colchis. Today they face the challenge of preserving their unique language, culture and identity in a rapidly changing world.

A Kartvelian People

The Laz belong to the Kartvelian (South Caucasian) family of peoples, which also includes the Georgians, Mingrelians and Svans. Their language, Lazuri, is most closely related to Mingrelian and forms part of the Zan branch of the Kartvelian languages. This makes the Laz one of the few peoples of Anatolia whose roots lie not in Turkic or Indo-European migrations, but in the ancient Caucasus.

Homeland and Diaspora

The Laz heartland is Lazistan, along the southeastern Black Sea coast of Türkiye (Rize and Artvin) and the Adjara region of Georgia. Centuries of migration have also created significant Laz communities in Istanbul and other Turkish cities, as well as in Germany and beyond.

Faith and Tradition

The religious history of the Laz mirrors the great currents of the region: from early Christianity under Lazica and Byzantium to widespread conversion to Sunni Islam under Ottoman rule. Throughout these changes, the Laz have maintained a strong cultural identity expressed through their language, their music, above all the tulum bagpipe, and the communal horon dance.

An Endangered Heritage

With fewer than an estimated 30,000 fluent speakers and no official recognition of Lazuri in education or media, the Laz language is classified by UNESCO as definitely endangered. Documenting and revitalising this heritage is the central mission of Lazepe.com.

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