INFORMATION ABOUT GEORGIA

The Persian designation for the Georgians, گرجی Gurj, is also the source of Turkish Gürcü (pronounced “Gürdjü”) and Russian Грузин (“Gruzin”). The name of the country is Gorjestan in Persian, Gürcistan in Turkish, Грузия in Russian (“Gruziya”), גרוזיה (“Gruzya”) or גאורגיה (“Georgya”) in Hebrew. The Persian name is probably also derived from Iberia, in the same way as the Armenian name mentioned above. (There are other cases in which a Persian word-initial gu- is derived from an older wi- or wa-, e.g. gul ’rose, flower’, from ward, and gurg ’wolf’, from warg.) According to others, the name may be related to the the Persian word for wolf (gurg), object of an old cult by the Caucasian peoples, hence Gorjestan – land of wolves. Yet another proposed etymology relates the Persian name to a PIE word meaning ’mountainous’.

There is also, in all likelihood, an etymological connection between the name Iberia and the historic province of Georgia called Imereti.

History

Georgia is a part of ancient civilization. Georgia is particular for its unique and diverse sights and historic monuments. There are more than 18 thousand historic monuments in Georgia. Georgia is a country of Early Christian culture, manuscripts, legends and traditions. Georgia became a kingdom about 4 BC.

Hardly any other country except for Georgia has experienced such a great number of assaults and still been able to preserve so many of its characteristic features and its unspoilt naturalness. Numerous churches and fortifications bear witness to the country’s restless and sorrowful historic past.

Georgia’s recorded history dates back more than 3000 years. The recently discovered Dmanisi hominid in the foothills of the lesser Caucasus, provides a remarkable 1.8 million year old link with first European humankind’s earliest transitions. After the Stone Age, humans started settling on Georgian territory even more intensivel. Since those ancient times, humans have always inhabited Georgian land.

Georgian language is one of the oldest living languages in the world, and it has its own distinctive alphabet, one of the oldest and independent one. Georgian writing was first seen in the 5th century. The first examples include inscriptions in the Georgian monastery of the Holy Cross in Palestine, in the Bethlehem desert (Bir-ell-Katt), as well as those in the Sioni Church of Bolnisi, south of Tbilisi.

Georgia has historically found itself on the margins of great empires its territory a desirable land for the great Asian empires, from the Arabs to Tamerlane, from the Mongols to the Ottomans from at least the 1st century B.C. through the 18th century. Despite numerous invasions and wars Georgia managed to unite during X-XII I centuries. David Aghmashenebeli (the Builder, 1089-1125), Georgia’s greatest and most prominent king, unified Georgia in the 12th century. This period of Georgia’s golden age ? also the rule of Queen Tamar (1184-1213) ? was a time of cultural renaissance, monastery building, fresco and ornament design. Richly decorated churches sprang up across the newly unified nation some even high up in the mountains.

The last conqueror, Russia, started annexation of Georgia in 1801 and finished it in 1917. Georgia spent almost 200 years of its recent history being part of the Russian empire: first as Russia’s province (guberniya), then as a Soviet republic. Also during this time, it retained its language, culture, and distinctive qualities.

1991, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia declared independence from the U.S.S.R. 1992 Georgia became the 179th member of the UN various international and regional organizations. In November 2003 the non-violent, democratic Rose Revolution took place and launched the 3rd wave of Eastern Europe liberation. Today Georgia is a presidential democracy led by the president Mikheil Saakashvili.

About Georgia – Culture

The culture of Georgia has evolved over the country’s long history, providing it with a unique national culture and a strong literary tradition based on the Georgian language and alphabet (The Georgian alphabet was invented in the 5th century BC and reformed by King Parnavaz I of Iberia in 284 BC.). This has provided a strong sense of national identity that has helped to preserve Georgian distinctiveness despite repeated periods of foreign occupation and attempted assimilation.

Georgians are rightly proud of their tradition of polyphonic song. Its unique, slightly dissonant style, transports the listener instantly into the mountains capes of pre-history. Nobody knows from where they come. The Greek historian Strabo records the multi-voiced chants of Georgians riding into battle in the 1st century BC. Most interesting of all for the visitor, the three-part-harmony songs are completely integrated into modern culture, not only in the churches and monasteries, but also around the Georgian table.

Georgian dance, like its polyphonic songs, remains a major cultural export. The Georgian State Dance company tours the world for the greater part of the year. Virtually every Georgian child learns traditional dance at school and the children dance as energetically as the adults. Few of the world’s male dance traditions are as energetic, or the female as sublime and beautifully costumed. Performances are frequent and among the most powerful memories of any visit to Georgia.

About Georgia – Flora and Fauna

Georgia is particularly rich in mineral and thermal waters (more than 2000 springs). According to Dr. Mikhail Zhukov, expert World Wildlife Found(WWF): “No other European country disposes of such rich flora and fauna as Georgia. On the territory of Europe, on such a small area you will see nowhere so various relief. At the same time you will find no country in Europe preserved in such primitive state”.

Georgian flora and fauna feature high biological diversity. The rich variation in topography, climate and geology has resulted in a diverse selection of habitats that include wetlands, peat bogs, sub alpine coniferous forests, steppe grasslands, beech forests, and oak woodlands, which support over 2000 varieties of species. The animal kingdom is highly diverse; suffice it to say that in Georgia there are around 100 species of animals, more than 330 sorts of birds, 48 kinds of reptiles, 11 sorts of amphibious, and up to 160 kinds of fishes registered. Such biological diversity of flora and fauna is a good precondition to create a National Park.

In 2003, a spectacular discovery was made: remote sensing cameras captured an adult male Anatolian Leopard in the Vashlovani National Park. This beautiful but critically endangered animal had been considered long extinct in Georgia.

First Europeans

Recently archeologists have discovered the skull of a 1.8 million year old hominid at Dmanisi, in the foothills of the lesser Caucasus. This historic find provides a key link to humankind’s earliest transitions between Africa and Europe.

Birthplace of wine

Georgia – the birthplace of wine. Wine-growing has a long tradition in Georgia. It’s impossible to imagine daily life, the traditions or the picturesque landscapes, without it. Legends of Georgian wine emerge from the distant annals of history. Slate cuneiform tablets from the 9th century BC describe both the Assyrian conquests and their demands for tribute. All of the vanquished had to pay exclusively in gold, save for Georgia whose wine became an acceptable currency for the Assyrian kings. Archeologists tell us that viniculture dates back 7000 years in the Caucasus. Many believe the generic word “wine” stems from the Georgian word “gvino”. With over 500 original grape varieties and a strong culture of growing, is it a surprise that Georgian wine will match any in the world.

Cave Architecture

Georgia is rich in cave architecture. The thirteen story monastery at Vardzia, found beside the Turkish border, is carved into sandstone hills. So too is the ancient town of Uplistsikhe on the historic Silk Road. Perhaps most memorable is the large complex of cave monasteries located just south of Tbilisi in the semi-desert, at David-Gareji. Founded in the 6th century, the richly frescoed caves look out on a vast sandstone landscape above a monastery that still functions.

Cristian Architecture and UNESCO world heritage

Georgia is a treasure house of dramatic and historic monuments. Three have been declared UNESCO World heritage sites: Mtskheta, the old capital; the Gelati – Bagrati monasteries near Kutaisi; and the high mountain Svanetian villages at Ushguli.

Table and Tamada

With such an abundance of delicious food and wine, over the centuries Georgia has developed a strong tradition of table culture. Not content with merely eating and drinking, the ceremony has evolved into a key stratagem of culture survival. Georgians have a saying that the guest is the gift from God. Essential to the table ceremony is the Tamada or toast-master. He guides the mood of the meal by introducing eloquent, often moving toasts at key moments, starting with “friendship”. This moment represented Niko Pirosmani- one of the Georgia’s favorite artist ( born 1862)- on one of his famous paintings. He developed his own very original “naive” style of painting. Today he is regarded as one of the world’s most outstanding “primitivist” painters.

Folklore

In 1977, when the US spacecraft Voyager” was launched, it carried the traditional Georgian song “Tschakrulo” on board as a part of the world’s cultural heritage. The charm of Georgian traditional music is its polyphony – an enchanting combination of archaic and modern harmony. In 2001 UNESCO acknowledged Georgian traditional music as “a masterpiece of the world’s intangible cultural heritage”. Georgians are rightly proud of their tradition of polyphonic songs. Its unique, slightly dissonant style, transports the listener instantly into the mountains capes of pre-history. Nobody knows where they come. The Greek historian Strabo records the multi-voiced chants of Georgians riding into battle in the 1st century BC. Georgian dance, like its polyphonic songs, remains a major cultural export. The vigorous, leaping dances, clashing swords, flying sparks, daggers quivering in the floor, combine elegantly with the graceful, gliding female dances. Add to this fabulous colorful costumes from mountain villages, wild drumming, pipe and accordion, and the overall effect is unforgettable.

The Greater Caucasus

The greater Caucasus mountains extend from the Black to the Caspian Seas. Among them are Europe’s highest mountain ( Elbruz at 5642 m.) and numerous summits over 4000m. Mt Shkhara, at 50568 meter, is the highest in Georgia. Mt. Kazbek at 5033, is most popular among mountaineers. Georgia is a paradise for hiking, mountaineering and winter sports. With over half its landmass as mountains, much of it covered in  virgin forest and completely free from mass tourism, Georgia is unique

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