Artvin
Mountainous terrain forced specialization into tea, hazelnuts, and honey. Russia controlled 1878-1921; Turkey renamed the province in 1956. National Geographic included Black Sea coast in 2026 destinations. By 2026, tourism and archaeological discoveries will drive development.
Artvin occupies Turkey's northeastern corner where the Caucasus Mountains meet the Black Sea—terrain so rugged that agricultural land is minimal, yet this constraint channeled development into tea cultivation, beekeeping, and hazelnut production that now define the province's economic identity.
Artifacts dating to the Bronze Age establish deep human presence. The region passed through the Kingdom of Colchis and Greater Armenia before Seljuk settlement began in 1068. Georgian, Mongol, and Ilkhanid control followed in succession. The Akkoyunlu confederation held it briefly before Ottoman incorporation under Selim II. For centuries, the mountain terrain made Artvin a transit corridor rather than a destination—goods flowed from the Abbasid Caliphate toward Black Sea ports through passes that connected empires.
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 severed Artvin from Ottoman control. Russia incorporated it into Kars Oblast, administering the territory for forty years until World War I chaos created a brief interregnum. The 1921 Treaty of Moscow returned Artvin to Turkey. For decades the province was called Çoruh (after the river); only in 1956 did it officially become Artvin Province.
The mountainous geography that limited agriculture enabled alternative specializations. In 1918, botanist Ali Riza Erten experimented with tea cultivation across several provinces; Artvin proved suitable. Today the province joins Rize, Trabzon, and Giresun in Turkey's tea belt—though the 2022 harvest fell from 860,000 to 583,000 metric tons regionally, reflecting climate pressures. Beekeeping thrives in the forested valleys, producing high-value honey. Hazelnuts grow on hillsides too steep for other crops. The March 2024 local elections brought the Republican People's Party to provincial leadership.
International recognition is accelerating. Turkey's Black Sea coast appeared on CNN Travel's Best Places to Visit 2024, then Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025. National Geographic included the region among 2026 destinations. At Ardanuç Castle, 2025 excavations discovered a burial chamber possibly belonging to King Ashot I—revealing medieval Georgian heritage beneath the Ottoman-era fortress.
By 2026, Artvin will continue developing as a tourism destination where Black Sea access meets Caucasian mountain culture—a province whose geographic isolation now attracts visitors seeking authenticity.