Issues of the Settlement and Adaptation of Georgian Muhajirs in Fatsa

Abstract

This paper examines the process of settlement, historical prerequisites, and initial stages of adaptation of Georgian Muhajirs in the Fatsa region (Ordu Province, Turkey). The research is based on oral histories gathered through ethnographic fieldwork, the cultural memory of the descendants of migrants, Ottoman archival materials, and a critical analysis of existing historiography. Particular attention is paid to the circumstances of the arrival of Georgian Muhajirs in Fatsa, the settlement policy of the Ottoman Empire, the role of Ali Pasha Tavdgiridze, the process of land distribution, and the difficulties of adapting to a new social environment. The paper demonstrates that the settlement of Georgians in Fatsa was not the result of an initial Ottoman plan but was significantly determined by accidental circumstances. Furthermore, the relationships between the migrants and the local population, the causes of social tension, and their impact on the ethnopolitical situation of the region are analyzed. The study reveals that cultural memory constitutes a vital source for reconstructing historical events that are incompletely or not at all reflected in written sources, offering a new perspective on the history of settlement and integration of Georgian Muhajirs in the Central Black Sea region.