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Samegrelo Samegrelo is a special region of Georgia, not only because of its many historical monuments, varied landscape or excellent cuisine, but also because of its own language, which is the second largest of the South Caucasian languages. It’s a historical region in western Georgia. It lies between Abkhazia, Svaneti and the Rioni River and borders the Black Sea. Samegrelo, also spelled Mingrelia or Megrelia, General Information Area: 7,093 km² The name The historical name of Samegrelo is "Principality of Odischi", because during the foundation of the Principality the centre was located in the village of Odischi. The name Samegrelo, derived from the kingdom of "Egrisi", appears as early as the 12th century, but the official name "Samagrelo" was given to the region only in the 19th century, because the principality was mainly inhabited by ethnic Megrels. Cultural and natural highlights Mingrelia is rich in cultural monuments: well-preserved ancient fortresses, several world-class archaeological sites, colourful medieval churches and princely palaces from centuries past. There is also no shortage of scenic attractions in Mingrelia: gorges, crystal-clear glacial rivers, beautiful mountain lakes and spa resorts on the Black Sea coast. Cultural monuments 1. Nokalakevi, city fortress and archaeopolis Natural highlights 1. Kolcheti National Park Spas 1. Anaklia Hiking in Samegrelo There are several hiking options in Samegrelo, but the most beautiful and strenuous is the multi-day hike to the Toba Lakes. From the lakes you can continue on to Svaneti or return to the valley by another route. Mingrelian language Mingrelian is not a dialect, but a real language, and belongs to the South Caucasian family of Kartvel languages. Other languages in this family are Lazian, Georgian and Svanian. Unlike Georgian, Mingrelian has no script, and Georgian letters are used for writing. Mingrelians are very proud of their language, and although it has no script and is not taught in schools, every Mingrelian knows the local language and passes it on to future generations. Children in the region grow up with two languages, Georgian and Mingrelian, from birth. There are now a few books in Mingrelian written in Georgian letters, and there is even a Mingrelian newspaper in the Abkhazian region. There is also a German-Mingrelian dictionary compiled by Ensign Heinz and Otar Kadschaia. Mingrelian cuisine The cuisine of Mingrelia differs from the cuisine of other regions of the country by a wide variety of dishes, special flavours and differences in taste. Here is a small selection of Mingrelian specialities: 1. Kharcho - beef with walnut sauce mixed with various spices. 2. Satsivi - turkey with walnut sauce, onion, garlic, coriander and fenugreek. 3. Adzhika - hot sauce with various spices. There are 60 different kinds of adzhika in Samegrelo and the mixture is part of the country's intangible cultural heritage. 4. Kupati - pork liver, heart and pomegranate seeds mixed with spices. 5. Mingrelian khachapuri - There are several types of khachapuri in Georgia, but Mingrelian is special, which is why the famous "Khachapuri Festival" is held in Samegrelo every October. Mingrelian khachapuri is made from breadcrumbs and various types of Mingrelian cheese. Milk, ghee, eggs, yeast and salt are mixed into the dough. Hachapuri is particularly tasty when baked on a clay pan. Mingrelian cuisine is generally dominated by hot dishes and spices. For centuries, spicy food was a way for the population to fight malaria, and although the region is no longer threatened by this disease, spicy ingredients continue to play an important role. Mingrelian wine Although Samegrelo is not well known as a wine-producing region, it does produce some top-quality wines, which are very different in taste, aroma and price from other Georgian wines - for example, a bottle of Koloshi red wine costs around US$100. The region produces mainly red wines, and the method of winemaking differs only slightly from other regions of Georgia. The difference lies in the storage of the mash and the must: the mash with the juice remains in the qwevri (underground clay amphora) for only one week, then the juice is transferred to a separate amphora where it ferments for a further two weeks. In the traditional method, the entire fermentation process takes place with the mash and juice together. About 40 different grape varieties grow in the region, but the most famous are called: Odschaleshi, Koloschi, Chvitluri, Chechipeschi, and the wines made from the grapes have the same names as the vines. The most famous Mingrelian wine is Odzhaleshi, a semi-dry red wine. Local festivals and traditions Teodoroba Horses played an important role in Samegrelo, so their reproduction and protection from theft was essential. The festival of Teodoroba is also dedicated to horses. On the first Saturday of Lent, cakes are baked in the shape of a horse and people go to the church of St Theodor Tiro to pray to him for the protection and good reproduction of horses. Moske-Tsachkhoroba/Festival of Fertility and Health The festival takes place on the Thursday after Easter, in the church of Tsachkhuri. During the festival, childless families go to the church with symbolic small cribs and sick people or relatives of sick people with huge beeswax candles, the candles should be as big as the sick person. After the special liturgy, there is a communal meal with the priests and the faithful. A peculiarity of the feast is that certain people who have done something bad to you can also be cursed on this day. A nail is hammered into the plane tree next to the church, a black cloth is tied around the nail and a curse is pronounced. Megrelian weekdays Each day of the week in the Mingrelian language has a meaning that has something to do with pagan religion and idolatry, or with Christian rituals. 1. Tutashkha/Monday - day of the moon Economy of the region The region's main economic activity is agriculture, with cereals, tobacco, olives, blueberries, kiwi, hazelnuts and guava being grown. Other important products of the region are Wood, honey and oil. It is interesting to note that Ferrero uses some Samegrelo nuts in its chocolates and kiwis grown in the region are exported to Germany. History of Samegrelo In ancient times, from around the 8th century BC to the 1st century AD, the area that is now Samagrelo was part of the Kingdom of Colchis. In the 2nd century, after Colchis had been weakened by the battles against Rome, the Kingdom of Egrisi was established parallel to Colchis and included the territory of almost all of present-day Western Georgia, including Mingrelia, Abkhazia, Imeretia, Guria and Atschara. The kingdom of Egrisi is also known by the second name "Lasika". In the 8th century, Lasika was weakened by several Arab invasions and subsequently incorporated into the Kingdom of Abasgia (now Abkhazia). In the 10th century, Georgia was united by the Bagrationis dynasty, and today's Samegrelo, Abkhazia, etc. became part of the united Georgia. The establishment of the Principality of Samegrelo The Principality of Samegrelo was founded in the 11th century and because its centre was in the village of Odishi, it was officially called the "Principality of Odishi". The principality was part of the Georgian Kingdom and supported its domestic and foreign policy for the next 500 years or so. Only in the 16th century, after the division of Georgia into three kingdoms, Kakheti, Kartlia and Imeretia, did Samegrelo (Odischi) become an independent Grand Principality. The first ruler of the independent principality was Levan I, who called himself "King Dadiani". In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Grand Princes of Samegrelo managed to expand their territories to include parts of present-day Abkhazia and Svaneti. It was during the reign of Levan II (1611-1657) that Samegrelo reached its political and economic zenith, and his successor, Vameq Dadiani, even managed to become King of Western Georgia for a short time. The greatest achievement of the Dadiani princes, however, was not the expansion of the country's borders and the rise of the hierarchy, but the protection of their own principality from Ottoman and Persian invasions, except for brief raids. In 1804, the Grand Duchy of Odiji was incorporated into Tsarist Russia, but the principality retained much of its independence and the Dadiani princes themselves were elevated to the Russian nobility. By the 19th century, the name of the principality was Samegrelo rather than Odischi. The Crimean War of 1853-1856 between the Russian and Ottoman Empires hit the regions along the Black Sea coast very hard and Samegrelo was no exception. In 1855, an army of 20,000 men invaded Samegrelo. The locals put up a strong resistance, but the Ottomans managed to capture the capital of Mingrelia, Zugdidi. At the end of the same year, Princess Catherine of Mingrelia herself organised and led an offensive against the Ottomans, after which the Ottoman troops left the region for good. In 1856, Princess Catherine was invited to the coronation of Russian Tsar Alexander II in St Petersburg, where she was honoured several times for her bravery and contribution during the war against the Ottomans. None of this bothered the Tsar, however, who finally dissolved the Principality of Mingrelia in 1867 and incorporated it, along with other parts of Georgia, into the Tsarist Empire. After Georgia declared independence for only three years, from 1918 to 1921, Samegrelo was part of the Georgian Republic and later, after Soviet occupation, part of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1995, the Georgian President issued a decree merging the historical regions of Samegrelo and Upper Svaneti into one administrative region, creating a new administrative unit called "Mingrelia and Upper Svaneti". On following trip, you will visit Samegrelo |
