Svaneti is one of the most beautiful side of Georgia. The central, 125 km part of the west Caucasus starting from Kodori range and ending at the Pasi mountain is called Svanetian Caucasus. Svaneti which is highest region in Georgia settled by people, is located on its south slopes. Svaneti includes gorges of the rivers Inguri and Tskhenistsqali from their midstream to the headwaters. Upper Svaneti is presented by the district of Mestia. Which is a small town and the administrative centre giving the name to the district. Lower Svaneti is likewise presented by
Svaneti harbours the major Caucasus peaks and the largest glaciers, the total area of which equals 300 sq. km. They hang over the Caucasus Mountains like an icy crown. The most important mountains are Tsurungala (4220 metres above the sea level), Ailama (4550 m.), Shkhara (5068 m.), Jangha (5060 m.), Gestola (4860 m.), Tikhtingen (4620 m.), Tetnuldi (4860 m.), Mazeri (4010 m.) and Chatini (4370 m.) that are neighboured by a well-known steep rock massif of twin-headed Ushba (4700 m.). Ushba is a paragon of a natural beauty and complexity among the Caucasus Mountains, similar to Matterhorn (4478 m.) in Alps.
History of Museum of Svaneti counts almost one century. After rehabilitation of the museum, exhibition halls were equipped in the modern way under the latest standards. There were created restoration laboratories and storages. Now museum has 6 permanent exposition halls. Visitors have amazing opportunity to travel inside the museum and see exponents discovered during archeological excavations and numismatic samples. Museum has special halls of Christian treasure, where visitors have opportunity to see IX-XVIII century masterpieces of world importance such as: Icon of the Forty Sebastian Martyrs, Embroidered Byzantine Icon, Venetian Cross, jug donated by Queen Tamar, earliest remaining sample of illustrated manuscript- Adishi Gospels (897) and etcetera. The last exhibition hall in the museum is dedicated to the exponents of Georgian Ethnography.
The project of rehabilitation of The Museum of History and Ethnography of Svaneti was supported by Government of Georgia and different international organizations and funds, such as: The National Commission of UNESCO in Georgia, EU Twinning Program, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation/Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Smithsonian institution, US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Heritage Preservation and with the help of the Italian and Swiss embassies.
Mikheil Khergiani was Georgian alpinist. his museum is very significant, because there are alpinist's memorial things and different exhibits of life Svaneti icons, furniture, vessels, clothes, alpinist's implements also paintings and different publication about alpinism.
Georgian cuisine is rich of many dishes characteristic to Svaneti, among them famous sulguni - kind of cheese, kaarz - cheese with mint boiled in milk, khachapuri - baked cheese in wheat bread, Pishvdar - cheese baked in corn bread, or Tchkut - baked cheese in millet bread, kubdari - stewed beef baked in wheat bread, sham - corn flour porridge with slices of sulguni cheese, tashmijab - cream of potatoes and cheese mixed with corn flour, chadi - a cornbread etc. There is also a wide range of pasties cooked with different stewed herbs inside. Svans like barley soup seasoned with garlic and pepper (Lutspek) and barley flour boiled in nettle soup (Kharshil). These soups are also very healthy food, they say that if one eats them at least ten times, he won't get sick during the whole year.
Almost all dishes are dressed with Svan salt - a regular table salt mixture with bits of ground red hot pepper and variety of spices. The dishes dressed with Svan salt have a very characteristic flavour and taste.
Another reason for specialty of Svaneti cuisine is that all dishes are cooked with local, natural products giving a unique taste and aroma to them.
It is impossible to grow grapes in Svaneti highland, that is why Svans have to buy wine in the low-land regions or distil vodka from local fruits or honey. An important attribute of Svans feast is mineral water from natural sources, which can be found all over the region.
Hello Tamta! Your post is really interesting, Svaneti has many significant places, of course. But I recommend you to write shortly, this information is too much. However the whole the text is visually involved and intrigued, the pictures describe everything well. Good luck!
ReplyDeletewow! that is realy cool post. It is the most amazing place with its culture and nature. It is time when you just can't write shortly. :) <3
ReplyDeleteTamta, your post about Svaneti was amazing! I liked it very much and I wish I could visit this place! while I was reading your article, I thought I was there in Svaneti! Thank you for these emotions!!
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