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Argveti (), also Margveti (), is a historic district in
Argveti (), also Margveti (), is a historic district in Imereti
Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 munic ...
, western Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
.
Overview
The area lay on the historic Iberian-Lazica
Lazica ( ka, ეგრისი, ; lzz, ლაზიკა, ; grc-gre, Λαζική, ; fa, لازستان, ; hy, Եգեր, ) was the Latin name given to the territory of Colchis during the Roman/Byzantine period, from about the 1st centur ...
n frontier, i.e., between what are now eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
and western parts of Georgia. From the 3rd century BC to the 6th century AD, it frequently came under the rule of the kings of Iberia (Kartli
Kartli ( ka, ქართლი ) is a historical region in central-to-eastern Georgia traversed by the river Mtkvari (Kura), on which Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is situated. Known to the Classical authors as Iberia, Kartli played a crucial rol ...
) and occasionally covered also some neighbouring areas, particularly Takveri. Argveti was a semi-independent princedom (samtavro) during the early Middle Ages, famed for its 8th-century nobles David and Constantine Mkheidze Mkheidze (), originally Mkhetsidze (მხეციძე), also Pkheidze (ფხეიძე), Kheidze (ხეიძე), Mkhetsia (მხეცია), and Khetsia (ხეცია), is a Georgian noble family, known from the eighth century. This ...
who fought against the Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
in the 730s. From the 8th to 11th centuries, Argveti formed a duchy within the Abkhazian Kingdom
The Kingdom of Abkhazia ( ka, აფხაზთა სამეფო, tr; lit. "Kingdom of the Abkhazians"), also known as Abasgia or Egrisi-Abkhazia, was a Middle Ages, medieval feudalism, feudal state in the Caucasus which was established i ...
, which was united with Kartli to form a united Georgian monarchy in 1008. It was then a patrimony of the powerful Baghvashi The Liparitids ( ka, ლიპარიტები), also known as Baghuashi (ბაღჳაში), were a noble house ('' didebuli'') in medieval Georgia, with notable members from the 9th to 12th centuries and famed for their powerful resistanc ...
ducal family, which went back in 1103, allowing King David IV
David IV, also known as David the Builder ( ka, დავით აღმაშენებელი, ') (1073–1125), of the Bagrationi dynasty, was the 5th king of United Georgia from 1089 until his death in 1125.
Popularly considered to be ...
to donate part of Argveti to Gelati Monastery
Gelati ( ka, გელათის მონასტერი) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia, it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as ...
. What was left from the Baghvashi dominion was granted to the Amanelisdze family in the 12th-13th centuries. In the late medieval period, Argveti was distributed among the fiefdoms of various noble families of Imereti, particularly the Tsereteli
The Tsereteli family ( ka, წერეთელი), also known as Tsertelev (Russian), is a noble family in Georgia (and partly, a Russian noble family) which gave origin to several notable writers, politicians, scholars, and artists.
History ...
, Abashidze
The Abashidze ( ka, აბაშიძე) is a Georgian family and a former princely house. Appearing in the 15th century, they achieved prominence in the Kingdom of Imereti in western Georgia in the late 17th century and branched out in the ea ...
, Chkheidze Chkheidze ( ka, ჩხეიძე, russian: Чхеи́дзе) is a Georgian family name which is – apart from the capital Tbilisi – most frequently to be found in the western Adjara, Guria and Imereti and the eastern Kvemo Kartli an ...
, and Mkheidze Mkheidze (), originally Mkhetsidze (მხეციძე), also Pkheidze (ფხეიძე), Kheidze (ხეიძე), Mkhetsia (მხეცია), and Khetsia (ხეცია), is a Georgian noble family, known from the eighth century. This ...
.
Some of the important historic monuments scattered across the area are the fortresses of Shorapani
Shorapani ( ka, შორაპანი) is a small Georgian town, situated in the Zestafoni District, part of the region of Imereti. Founded in the 3rd century BC, it served as a residence of the ''eristavi'' (dukes) of Argveti (also known as t ...
, Skanda, Sveri, Chikha, Mukhuri, and the churches of Ubisi
Ubisa ( ka, უბისი) is a small village and a medieval monastic complex in Georgia, particularly in the region Imereti, some 25 km from the town Kharagauli.
The monastic complex of Ubisi comprises a 9th-century St. George’s Monastery f ...
, Jruchi, Tabakini, and Katskhi.
References
Former provinces of Georgia (country) Historical regions of Georgia (country) {{Georgia-geo-stub