Garzan

Garzan was a kaza located within the Siird Sancak, which was part of the Bitlis Vilayet in the Ottoman administrative division, a region whose population harbored communities belonging to different religions and languages, and was densely populated by Kurds.

Administrative Structure

According to the late 19th-century vilayet salnames, Garzan Kaza was one of the kazas affiliated with Siird Sancak, and this sancak was listed among the sub-units of Bitlis Vilayet along with the kazas of Şirvan, Erva, and Pervari (Cilt 4, s. 119). In terms of administrative size, the kaza consisted of 138 villages (Cilt 4, s. 126). In earlier period divisions, the region was also referred to by different names; it was recorded as "Garzan/Hasankeyf" within the Diyarbekir Liva of Kürdistan Eyaleti (Cilt 4, s. 247).

Population and Languages

Garzan's population structure was multi-religious and multi-lingual. Based on the salnames, it was stated that although Muslims, Christians, and Yezidis lived together in the kaza, Kurdish was generally spoken in the region (Cilt 4, s. 270). This population diversity can also be traced in archive records; a register showing the Muslim, Yezidi, and non-Muslim population was kept for the Garzan region in 1852, and such registers are considered among the valuable sources documenting the region's 19th-century population dynamics (Cilt 3, s. 70).

Non-Muslim Heritage

A concrete example of the region's non-Muslim heritage is the places of worship mentioned in the salnames. A Syriac church named Deyra Zirek was located in Garzan; this church was affiliated with Deyrülzafaran within the Midyat Kaza, which was subject to Mardin Sancak (Cilt 4, s. 303).

Mîr Families

Garzan is also known for the region's prominent mîr families. Documents regarding the plea of Mîr Fettah, one of the mîrs of Garzan, are found in Ottoman archive documents; requests for the exemption of exiled mîrs' male children from military service are among these records (Cilt 3, s. 67).