Mestia ( ka, მესტია ) is a highland townlet ('' daba'') in northwest

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, at an elevation of in the

Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains * * Azerbaijani: , * * * * * * * * * * * is a mountain range at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Stretching between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, they are surrounded by the Caucasus region ...

General information

Mestia is located in the region of

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti ( Georgian: სამეგრელო-ზემო სვანეთი ) is a region (Mkhare) in western Georgia with a population of 308,358 (2021) and a surface of . The region has Zugdidi as its administrative center ...

province (''

mkhare A ''mkhare'' ( ka, მხარე, ''mxare'') is a type of administrative division in the country of Georgia (country), Georgia. It is usually translated into English as "region". According to presidential decrees issued in 1994 and 1996, Geo ...

''), some northeast of the regional capital of

Zugdidi Zugdidi ( ka, ზუგდიდი ; or ზუგიდი) is a city in the western Georgian historical province of Samegrelo (Mingrelia). It is situated in the north-west of that province. The city is located 318 kilometres west of Tbilisi, 3 ...

. Mestia and the adjoining 132 villages form Mestia District ('' raioni''). Its area is ; and its population is 9,316 (1,973 in the town itself), according to the 2014 Georgia census. It was granted the status of a townlet (Georgian: ''daba'') in 1968. Historically and ethnographically, Mestia has always been regarded a chief community of Zemo, or Upper

Svaneti Svaneti (Svan language, Svan: შუ̂ან, ლემშუ̂ანიერა; ''shwan, lemshwaniera'', and Suania in ancient sources; ka, სვანეთი ) is a historic province in the northwestern part of Georgia (country), Georg ...

province. It was formerly known as Seti (სეტი). The population is mostly Svans, a cultural and linguistic subgroup of the

Georgians Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and Peoples of the Caucasus, Caucasian ethnic group native to present-day Georgia (country), Georgia and surrounding areas historically associated with the Ge ...

. Despite its small size, the townlet was an important centre of Georgian culture for centuries and contains a number of medieval monuments, such as churches and forts, included in a list of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s. Mestia is served by the Queen Tamar Airport, which is operated by the state-owned company ''

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'' since 2010. Mestia to ushguli

Architecture and attractions

The townlet is dominated by stone defensive towers of a type seen in Ushguli and Mestia proper (" Svan towers"). A typical Svan fortified dwelling consisted of a tower, an adjacent house (''machubi'') and some other household structures encircled by a defensive wall. Unique icons and manuscripts are kept in Mestia Historical-Ethnographic Museum. Mestia is also a centre of mountaineering tourism. The town is the starting point for the popular Mestia- Ushguli trail. Most hikers complete this route in four days, sleeping in guesthouses or in local farmhouses. Mestia

Twin towns

Born in Mestia

* Mikheil Khergiani (1932–1969), a mountain climber

References

External links