Reflecting some internal differentiation persisting in Turkey's Georgian community, the Imerkhevians claim a different origin from the Georgians in theBorçkaarea, who have adopted an inclusiveAdjaridentity. The first who brought the local culture to a scholarly attention wasNicholas Marr,who, while on an expedition inShavshetiin 1910, collected folk literature and ethnographic information from several villages along theImerkheviriver.[1]
The majority of the Imerkhevians today live in an area they callImerkhevi,the name of the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Imerkhevian. The population of Imerkhevi is largely composed of ethnic Georgians, who inhabit 14 hamlets aroundMeydancık,formerly known as Diobani. These settlements have both official Turkish and unofficial Georgian names.
Turkey
