Explore Georgia (Caucasus)

Website about Georgia (country) and this peoples

Georgia country - is the English name of the country, situated at the junction of Europe and Asia that has only recently gained independence and restored her statehood, lost almost two hundred years ago. It is also the name by which she is known in the greater part of the modem European languages (French - Georgie, German - Georgien, Spanish - Georgiano, Italian - Georgia, etc.). This name com es from the Latin - “georgiani”.

 Jaque de Vitry (1160-1240), the French scholar and churchman, tried to explain the term etymologically as early as in the 13th century in his work “Historia Hierosolimitana abbreviata”, written in Latin. He dedicated a whole chapter to elucidating this question.

 He wrote: “There is a Christian nation in the East, great warriors, quick while fighting, of sturdy build, as if made of oak. They have a numerous army. They arouse mortal fear in Saracens and often defeat Persians, Medians and Assyrians as well as other infidels that surrounded her from all sides. These people are called georgiani, for they worship most of all, revere greatly and idolize Saint George whom they consider to be their protector and patron in their wars…”

 The worship of St. George is of special reverence in Georgia indeed, but contemporary scholarship has a different interpretation of this ethnonym. It must be coming from the Middle and Modem Persian languages in which “gurgan” means “the country of wolves” that must be a totem designation of ancient Georgians.

 It is also known that one of the southern states of the USA has the same name (Georgia), but it is an accidental coincidence of names and it has nothing to do with the Caucasian Georgia. The Georgians call themselves “Kartveli”, and their country “Sakartvelo”.

Kukia Cemetery
Architecture
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Georgian Orthodox Churches
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Kukia Cemetery One of Tbilisi’s oldest cemeteries, and arguably its most diverse: unlike most others in the city, it is not confined to one religion, denomination, or ethnic group. One can […]
Kukia Cemetery, Chugureti District, Tbilisi, Georgia
Kazreti Trinity
Architecture
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Fortresses-Castles-Palaces Georgian Orthodox Churches
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Kazreti Trinity (Sameba) is situated in the Kazreti gorge, on the outskirts of the town. Historically, here lay the village of Ispiani, which, together with the Kazreti gorge, belonged to t […]
Kazreti's Sameba, Bolnisi Municipality, Lower Kartli, Georgia
Abulmugi Bath
Architecture
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Abulmugi Bath stood east of the village site of Abulmugi. Due to the gold quarries, it has been relocated further to the south, on the right side of Tbilisi-Dmanisi highway.  The bath was […]
Abulmugi Bath, Bolnisi Municipality, Lower Kartli, Georgia
Gonio Fortress
Architecture
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Fortresses-Castles-Palaces
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Gonio Fortress or Gonio-Apsaros Fortress is located 12 kilometres south of Batumi, on the left bank of the river Chorokhi. It is the site of one of the oldest Georgian settlements that was […]
Gonio Fortress, Matata Motsikulis Street, Gonio, Batumi, Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Georgia
Ajameti Forest
Natural Wonders
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Ajameti forest - The Ajameti Reserve is located in the Baghdati municipality and consists of three districts almost entirely covered with virgin forest. Many of the trees are over 250 years […]
Ajameti Protected Area, Baghdati Municipality, Imereti, Georgia
Vartsikhe Vardtsikhe City of Roses
Natural Wonders
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Fortresses-Castles-Palaces
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Vartsikhe, or more correctly Vardtsikhe, meaning "City of Roses", was located in Imereti and was known to the Greeks as Rhodopolis, a name that corresponds to the same Georgian meaning. Thi […]
Ananovi palace, Vartsikhe, Baghdati Municipality, Imereti, Georgia
Rhodopolis, Vartsikhe, Baghdati Municipality, Imereti, Georgia
Rukhi Fortress
Architecture
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Fortresses-Castles-Palaces
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Rukhi fortress - This large fortress is the first monument to greet you as you enter Samegrelo, since it stands on the left bank of the Enguri River as you cross over from Abkhazia. It was […]
Rukhi Castle, Rukhi, Zugdidi Municipality, Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Okatse Canyon
Natural Wonders
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Okatse Canyon Natural Monument is located In village Gordi, Khoni Municipality. The depth of the canyon that was formed in the limestone rucks as a result of the river Okatse flow ranges be […]
Okatse canyon, Gordi, Khoni Municipality, Imereti, Georgia
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