[ariel]

In 1878, according to the San Stefano agreement, everything including Guria and Adjaria but excluding the southernmost part of Lazistan ( around Trabzon) was returned by the Turks to Georgia, at that time the part of Russian Empire. Large part of Lazistan joined the general Adjaro-Gurian region in Georgia. Georgian Laz are Christian, Turkish Laz became Moslems.
Both pictures specifying the ethnicities of people shown there are signed in Russian i.e. clearly indicating locations of studios: Russian-controlled Georgia.
The reason I cited that paper is to show that the so-called Laz Bicagi was not
endemic to southern, i.e. Turkish, Lazistan. It co-existed with Adjaria and Guria contemporaneously. I leave the question of its original invention to Mr. Dvalishvili.

One needs to pay close attention to historiography; ignoring it leads to careless and often illiterate statements. I could bring examples but do not wish to embarrass their author.