Lentekhi
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Lentekhi ( ka, ლენტეხი, ) is a small town and Lentekhi District's (
Raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is co ...
) capital in
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 ...
's western region of
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti ( ka, რაჭა-ლეჩხუმი და ქვემო სვანეთი, ''Rach’a-Lechkhumi da Kvemo Svaneti'') is a region (Mkhare) in northwestern Georgia with a population of 28,500 (2021), mak ...
, 323 km northwest to the nation's capital
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
. Situated on the southern slope of the Central Caucasus, the district is a site of
alpinism Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, ...
.


History

Lentekhi ethnographically belongs to a historic Georgian province of Lower, or Kvemo
Svaneti Svaneti or Svanetia (Suania in ancient sources; ka, სვანეთი ) is a historic province in the northwestern part of Georgia. It is inhabited by the Svans, an ethnic subgroup of Georgians. Geography Situated on the southern slop ...
. Cultural heritage of the area includes several monuments, particularly St George's Church of Jgëræg (the 10th century), the Archangel Church of Thargizel (the 9–10th centuries), Tekal Church (the 10–11th centuries), Lentekhi Castle of the
Dadiani The House of Dadiani ( ka, დადიანი ), later known as the House of Dadiani- Chikovani, was a Georgian family of nobles, dukes and princes, and a ruling dynasty of the western Georgian province of Mingrelia. The House of Dadiani Th ...
, and the famous Svanetian towers in the village of Leksuri. There is a river that goes through the town and its inhabitants survive largely off of farming and lumber, though in recent years government restrictions have slowed this latter industry. Like in much of Georgia, tourism is seen as the future source of income as the weather in lower Svaneti is not as severe and Lentekhi is one of the larger towns before arriving in Mestia. Nevertheless, as in much of Svaneti, there has been a tendency for the younger generation to migrate to the larger cities or to find work overseas for economic reasons. Every spring, there is a festival at the church high in the mountain above the town. There is a singing hall and one restaurant next to the river which serves traditional food of the region to travelers and sometimes locals. A spring flows from the mountainside with fresh mineral water of which the town consistently drinks. In 2019, Lentekhi removed a figure of the goddess Dali from the design of a
fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were ori ...
planned for the city's main square. Metropolitan Stephan of the Georgian Orthodox eparchy of Tsageri and Lentekhi had strongly criticized the inclusion of the goddess as idolatry, although mayor Badri Liparteliani stated the change was intended to increase the fountain's efficiency and visual appeal. The final version was built without the statue of Dali.


See also

* Subdivisions of Georgia


References


External links


Images of Svaneti
Cities and towns in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Kutaisi Governorate {{Georgia-geo-stub