from this region after 1922. Traditional clothing The traditional Laz men's costume consists of a peculiar bandanalike kerchief covering the entire head above the eyes, knotted on the side and hanging down to the shoulder and the upper back; a snug-fitting jacket of coarse brown homespun with loose sleeves; and baggy dark brown woolen trousers tucked into slim, knee-high leather boots. The women's costume was similar to the wide-skirted princess gown found throughout Georgia but worn with a similar kerchief to that of the men and with a rich scarf tied around the hips. Laz men crafted excellent homemade rifles and even while at the plow were usually seen bristling with arms: rifle, pistol, powder horn, cartridge belts across the chest, a dagger at the hip, and a coil of rope for trussing captives. Cuisine Laz cuisine specialities include: Muhlama – a filling corn meal, butter, and cheese fondue; Hamsi pilavı – spiced rice enclosed in fried Black Sea anchovies; Kuru fasulye – white beans in a tomato sauce; Laz böreği – a custard filled baklava like dessert; Karadeniz pidesi – an elongated and closed form of the popular pide dish. Discrimination Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of the early decades of the Republic, aimed to create a nation state () from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. During the first three decades of the Republic, efforts to Turkify geographical names were a recurring theme. Imported maps containing references to historical regions such as Armenia, Kurdistan, or Lazistan (the official name of the province of Rize until 1921) were prohibited (as was the case with Der Grosse Weltatlas, a map published in Leipzig). Cultural assimilation into the Turkish culture has been high, and Laz identity was oppressed during the days of Ottoman and Soviet Rule. One of the pivotal moments was in 1992, when the book Laz History (Lazların tarihi) was published. The authors had failed to have it published in 1964. Gallery See also Adjarians Pontic Greeks Chveneburi Chepni people Hemshin peoples Germakochi Notes References Bibliography Andrews, Peter (ed.). 1989. Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey. Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, pp. 497–501. Benninghaus, Rüdiger. 1989. "The Laz: an example of multiple identification". In: Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey, edited by P. Andrews. Bryer, Anthony. 1969. "The last Laz risings and the downfall of the Pontic Derebeys, 1812–1840". In: Bedi Kartlisa 26, pp. 191–210. Hewsen,