THE IMPRESSIONS OF GEORGIAN TRAVELLER GIORGI ERISTAVI ON TRABZON AND ISTANBUL (1862)

Due to its strategic location, Turkey has been a gate to Europe for Georgia throughout history. Many Georgian who preferred the land route travelled to Europe via Turkey. Among the Georgian travellers were famous Georgian men of letters, one of whom is the Georgian playwright and poet Giorgi Eristavi (1813-1864). Eristavi, in his work titled My Trip to Europe Starting from 13 June 1862, provides crucial information about Trabzon and Istanbul where he stops by during his sea voyage. This information regarding the 19th century Turkey not only reflects the circumstances in Turkey at the time but also plays a critical role for conveying the historical process, customs and traditions through the eyes of a foreign traveller. It can be argued that this source which history has not been translated into Turkish and is unknown to the Turkish readers would contribute to the Turkish history as well as the Georgian-Turkish relationship. This study deals with Giorgi Eristavi’s travelogue and his impressions on Trabzon and Istanbul