Free Travel Guide of Turkey Pontic coast: East of Trabzon - Trebizond

Part 7: Lazland

In the 19 kilometers separating Pazar from Çayeli, the familiar red shawl vanishes from the scene: not a single peasant woman will be caught wearing a keşan in the marketplace of Pazar. The tongue twisting consonants of an unfamiliar speech overheard on the street reinforces the feeling of having crossed a cultural boundary. From here to the Soviet border, and continuing for a few more villages beyond it, is the land of a peculiar tribe of people who have come to personify the Black Sea-the Laz, descendants of the kings of Colchis who defended the Golden Fleece against the Argonauts.
The Laz combine the cocky pride of Scotsmen with the eccentric humor of Basques. They were never dominated by the Byzantines; nor did the Ottoman Empire succeed in subjugating them fully. When they felt their partial autonomy threatened in the early 19th century, they took up arms under Memiş Tuzcuoğlu, Lord of the Valley, and fought against the troops of the governor of Trabzon for more than two decades. The Russian connection cultivated during that struggle led to the rapid adoption of "modern" customs and ideas from the northern neighbor during the rest of the century. Today the five townships that house Turkey's Laz population Pazar, Ardeşen, Fındıklı Arhavi and Hopa-display a remarkably progres¬ive outlook. Hopa, at the far edge of Turkey, is one of the rare places it the country where village womer work the fields in short sleeves and (gasp!) a knee-length cotton skirt The profusion of blond and red head with aquiline noses and piercing blue eyes completes a strikingly "un Anatolian" picture.
No amount of progress, however, seems likely to dampen the ancient Laz passion for hawks. Hawking is practiced as a hobby, an addiction and a lifestyle. Specific cafes in each of the five townships serve as gather¬ing places for hawk buffs. One favorite is the cafe underneath Hotel Avcı in Ardeşen, where, during a particularly exciting football game on television, no less than two dozen birds shouted and screamed along with their eccentric owners amid a thick cloud of cigarette smoke. The mayor of Ardeşen, a great raconteur in the best Laz tradition ("The only reason why we continue speaking Laz," he says, "is that in no other language can one tell so many hilarious jokes."), showed up with his pride and joy. As his favorite pet watched menacingly from his shoulder, the proprietor explained that the birds are caught and domesticated at an early age and they make superb companions for hunting quail. Since the arrival of Gulf Arabs as buyers, the price of a baby hawk has gone up to 1000 dollars. A rare falcon was offered in barter for this author's car.
At the regionally famous restaurant of Baba Ahmet the evening continued with a bravura display of the inimitable and irrepressible Laz joviality. After the third course of hamsi and the fifth bottle of raki, a kemençe was brought out. Men stood up for aninitially clumsy, then increasingly intense and finally delirious rendition of the traditional Black Sea dance, the horon. Half a dozen hawks perched on the hatstand kept tempo with jingling bells tied to their wings.
Apart from their delightful inhabitants and an increasingly wild and craggy coastline, the five townships offer few specific sights-a fine beach near Pazar, a few totally wild ones beyond Hopa, a forlorn ruined church in someone's back yard just outside Ardeşen, several charming village mosques behind Arhavi, and of course, the spectacular panorama of the Kaçkar Mountains rising above the coast.
The best way to get away from the apparent impersonality of the coast is to make random excursions into the hills. A good place to do that is the hinterland of Arhavi where a number of semi-paved roads lead in the direction of Ortacalar. They meander through pleasant farmlands overgrown with tea, offering unforgettable
images of rosy-cheeked Laz beauties and ancient moss-covered stone bridges. In the front yards of remote farmsteads, one may note the tall and distinctive plants of the cannabis family.
 

Free Travel Guide of Turkey Pontic coast: East of Trabzon - Trebizond

 Part 1: Tea Plants
Part 2: Markets
Part 3: Sürmene
Part 4: A Muslim Redoubt
Part 5: A Lakeside Eden
Part 6: Rize and Environs
Part 7: Lazland
Part 8: A Little Berlin

Part 9: Bull wrestling in Artvin