Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
MA in Cultural and Social Anthropology
Kobuleti/Georgia
Sabakalanda@gmail.com
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship with the historical homeland maintained by the descendants of Georgian muhajirs living in Turkey, particularly in the Fatsa region. It analyzes the transformation of Georgia from an “imagined homeland”—preserved during the Soviet period through oral narratives and radio broadcasts under conditions of closed borders—into a tangible geographical and social space with which direct contact became possible following the opening of the border in 1988.
Drawing on ethnographic interviews, the study reconstructs the emotional experience of the first encounters between Georgian communities in Fatsa and their relatives in Georgia. In many cases, kinship was identified through perceived physical resemblance and the search for shared family names. Particular attention is devoted to the phenomenon of circular mobility, whereby visits to Georgia are understood not merely as acts of tourism, but as symbolic returns to ancestral territory that reinforce collective identity and a sense of historical belonging.
The paper also explores the socioeconomic consequences of the opening of the border, including the mobility of seasonal workers, the development of business contacts, and various forms of cultural diplomacy. Special attention is given to the 2013 precedent involving the large-scale granting of Georgian citizenship to Georgians from Fatsa. This development is interpreted as an act of state recognition of their identity and as the formal acknowledgment of their connection to Georgian historical roots.
The study concludes that, despite the pressures of globalization and the risk of assimilation, modern means of communication and increasingly frequent visits contribute to the preservation of the Georgian language and culture as a “living archive.” For Georgians in Fatsa, these practices create a durable sociocultural bridge between their present place of residence and their historical homeland.
Keywords: muhajirs, Fatsa, border opening, circular mobility, historical homeland, kinship ties, identity..