About GEORGIA
A unique place with almost all climatic zones, homeland of wine , country of the Golden Fleece, bridge between East and West, past and present created by the clash of empires. How the corners of Georgia formed an empire. Get to know Georgia, discover amazing places. Remember The guest is a “gift from God” to us. The kingdom of Colchis existed in the 13 th century BC on the territory of present- day Georgia. Colchis was a prosperous and rich state at that time, was trading with many different countries. One of the famous myths about Colchis tells us about the Argonauts and how rich Colchis was at that time. Colchis was a prosperous and rich state at that time, was trading with many different countries. Another kingdom on our teritoy was Iberia. Iberia, was the Greek name (Kingdom of Kartli), the first king of which was Parnavaz. Prior to Parnavaz’s accession to the throne, Kartli was ruled by Azon, who, according to historical sources, had inherited the throne from Alexander the Great. According to legend, Parnavaz found a very large amount of gold in a cave while hunting, which prompted him to start a revolt. The army gathered and liberated Kartli from foreign rulers. Parnavaz’s name is associated with the creation of Georgian literature and the alphabet. During the reign of Mirian III in the 4 th century, a woman who preached Christianity came from Cappadocia and converted Kartli to Christianity. This event is accompanied by the legend of the solar eclipse, which prompted King Mirian to declare Christianity as a state religion. In the second half of the 5 th century, Vakhtang Gorgasali became the king of Kartli, who put an end to the hegemonic rule of Esenid Iran on the territory of Georgia. His name is associated with the founding of the city of Tbilisi and the reorganization of the Georgian Orthodox Church. From 975, Bagrat III, a subsidiary of David Kurapalat, actively started the struggle for the unification of Georgia, during which he had to get rid of the disobedient feudal lords. Annexation of Klarjeti, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kakhet-Hereti. Eventually Bagrat III becomes the first king of a united Georgia. In 1089 George II gave the throne to his son, 16-year-old David. The young king successfully undertook the reconstruction of the country. David took advantage of the crusades announced in 1095 and stopped paying tribute to the Sultan. All this was followed by the Battle of Didgori, where David IV won on behalf of the Kingdom of Georgia in 1121. According to various historical sources, in the Battle of Didgori, under David’s command 56,000 infantrymen confronted more than 300,000 Turks. The so-called golden age of Georgia begins during the reign of Queen Tamar. Tamar was the first woman in history to hold a similar title. He was the King of the Kingdom of Georgia. Its domestic and foreign policies facilitated the transformation of Georgia into a dominant state in the Caucasus region. During her reign, the poem “Vepkhistkaosani” was written, which is considered to be a Georgian cultural treasure. After the king’s death the country is left to her children George and Rusudan. By this time the Mongol conquests were gaining ground in the country, and eventually the Mongol Empire annexed the Georgian state. In 1299 George V ascended the throne at the age of 11 years. George turned out to be a good diplomat, and at first preferred a cautious and peaceful relationship with the Mongols, which eventually paid off. George V put the point on the 100-year rule of the Mongols in Kartli. In 1744, Rekle II ascended the throne. Georgia is in a bad situation during the Islamic period because at that time Iran considered Kartli as its personal Khanate. The Ottomans were dominant in the West. All of Central Asia longed to rule these lands. Erekle II was able to unite Kartli-Kakheti and carried out important reforms for the centralization of power. On the other hand, Erekle’s son George was unable to maintain the unity of the country, due to which the Russians violated the “Georgievski Treaty” and the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti became part of the Russian Empire. In 1918, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia leave the Russian Empire and form one state on behalf of the Transcaucasian Federal Republic. On May 26, Georgia leaves the Transcaucasian Republic and declares independence from all outside forces. In 1918-1920, Georgia became a British protectorate. Independence did not last long and in 1921 the Russian Soviet Army occupied Tbilisi. A social party was formed under the leadership of Filipe Makharadze, which declared its allegiance to Moscow. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia declared independence again and on May 26 of the same year the first democratic elections were held. Georgia, which had the status of an independent country, lost two regions during the conflict with Russia. Georgia continues its diplomatic struggle for the unification of the country. It is difficult to convey in three paragraphs the cultural and historical wealth that Georgia has inherited fromB.C till present day, so we open the doors of the our country and invite you to travel in different centuries. Welcome to Georgia!
The territory of Georgia is considered a completely independent, genetic center of grain crops.
Therefore, we must assume that, since ancient times, farming (that is, grain crops) and
winemaking played the main role in the culinary culture of the Kartvelian tribes. However, the
most archaic, is probably the gathering economy, and primarily it is the very diverse plant foods
that ancient man fed on. We should not forget the great role of hunting in the formation of
primitive cuisine. Meat and dairy products are also very important, which are related to the
developed cattle breeding. This is the basic spectrum by which we can characterize the initial
forms of Georgian cooking.
Georgian cuisine has a great impact on neighboring cultures. We can find Turkish, Armenian,
Arabic, Persian, Russian traces in Georgian cooking. For example, signature Georgian dishes
such as kebab, khashi, bozbashi, kaurma and many others have non-Georgian origins.
The main sign of Georgian cuisine is, first of all, the original product, the original method of
preparation, but the most important thing is the spices, and in this respect West Georgia has no
equal. These various spices, starting with oil in East Georgia and vinegar in West Georgia,
continuing with various exotic spices and ending with walnuts. Georgians said our special word
in this.
The most popular dishes
Khinkali – Made of twisted knobs of dough, stuffed with meat and spices.
Khachapuri – Traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread
Gebjalia – Rolls of cheese seasoned with mint
Ghomi – Porridge made of corn meal
Badrijani Nigvzit – Fried eggplant with walnut sauce,
Chakhokhbili- Tomato-based soup with poultry meat
Chaqafuli – Made
Georgian folk choreography has a history of many centuries. Archaeological and ancient literary monuments that have reached us prove that the historical predecessor of Georgian folk choreography was a hunting dance, a ritual dance performed in honor of the god of fertility – the moon (“Shuspa”). The ritual character of the ancient ferkhuli is the image of a silver phial found during the excavations of Trialeti (2nd millennium BC) — the ferkhuli of masked hunters, which, according to some scientists, should be dedicated to Dali, the Svan hunting deity. In Svaneti, the following are still preserved: “Hunting Ferkhuli”, “Lemchili”, “Betkili Ferkhuli” and others. The development of agriculture and animal husbandry was followed by the formation of new customs, which were reflected in ritual dances of a magical nature. The combination of sacred dance elements with customs and game rituals led to the creation of such dances as: “Georgian”, “Gandagana”, “Khorumi”, “Ferkhul-orsarutla”. Over time, many dance troupes were created, which popularized Georgian choreography not only in the countries of the Soviet Union, but also outside its borders. Some Types of Georgian dance Kartuli Kartuli dance is a romantic/wedding dance. It is performed by a dance couple. During the dance, the man is not allowed to touch the woman and must keep a certain distance from his partner. Khorumi This war dance originated in Guria/Adjara, in southwestern Georgia, based on the numerous invasions of the country. The dance was originally performed by only a few men. However, over time it has grown. In today’s version of Khorumi, 30-40 dancers can participate, as long as the number is odd. Adjaruli Adjaruli also originated in Adjara, which is where it gets its name. Adjaruli is distinguished from other dances with its colorful costumes and the playful mood that simple but definite movements of both men and women create on stage. The dance is characterized with graceful, soft, and playful flirtation between the males and females. Unlike Kartuli, the relationship between men and women in this dance is more informal and lighthearted. Khanjluri Khanjluri is based on the idea of competition. Khanjluri is one of those dances. In this dance, shepherds, dressed in red chokhas (traditional men’s wear) compete with each other in the usage of daggers and in performing complicated movements. One performer replaces another, and the courage and skill overflow on stage. Since Khanjluri involves daggers and knives, it requires tremendous skill and practice on the part of the performers.
Georgia is the cradle of viticulture. The origins of viticulture go back more than 8,000 years, almost ten centuries earlier than previously estimated, according to residues found in Neolithic ceramics found in Georgia, in the southern Caucasus. In every corner you can see the importance of Georgian wine for the people of the country. Churches are decorated with reliefs of grapes, the universally revered patron saint Nino carries her vine cross, and wine is the dominant drink at all festivals. Wine is part of Georgian culture. What makes Georgian wine so special? The grapes, of course! The variety of grapes has a huge impact on the taste of the wine. Georgia has 525 types of indigenous grapes, of which only 50 are authorized for wine production and only half of them are currently used. Winemaking in “kvevris” is practiced throughout Georgia, and more specifically in rural communities where unique grape varieties are grown. The “kvevri” is an ovoid clay container used to ferment must and store and age wine. Years ago, UNESCO had listed these traditional Georgian techniques as Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Because Georgia and wine are inseparable, any tour guide will insist that tasting Georgian wine is an absolute must. With wine now a fully-fledged attraction in Georgia, the popularity of wine tours is growing. The most popular destination for wine tours is of course the Kakheti region, which is known for its many wineries and various types of wine. Wine tours are usually focused on both family and commercial wineries and it is also possible to do a tour combining both. Wine tasting and tasting is a great way to get acquainted with the famous local wines, while absorbing the natural and architectural beauty of Georgia. The month of September, when the vintage festival in Georgia, called Rtveli, takes place, is an ideal month for a wine tour, and even to participate in the grape harvest during the festival.
