About History – “Oath and Silver Eaten”

Hidden away from the outside world and only accessible by road for five to six months a year is the extraordinary land of the Khevsurs – Khevsureti. It is a place where ancient pagan traditions survive, and medieval fortress towers stand testament to centuries of conflict with neighbors and peoples of the North Caucasus. The practice of raiding each … Continue reading

About Architecture – Restoration of Dartlo Village

Earlier this year the Municipal Development Fund of Georgia (MDF) launched a project to restore the vernacular architecture of the medieval village of Dartlo village in Tusheti. The initiative is part of a larger project, called “Kakheti Regional Development Project” that is developing tourism in Kakheti. Dartlo village is one of the most beautiful villages in Tusheti. Situated … Continue reading

About Achievements – Restoration of Telavi

Celebrations were held in the town of Telavi in Georgia’s Kakheti Region to mark the completion of the first stage of the restoration of the town. Telavi (Georgian: თელავი) is the largest town in Georgia’s Kakheti region. Restoration works began in March of this year and stage 1 (the town center) was completed in September. An electric … Continue reading

About Food – How a Georgian prince smuggled tea out of China

Georgian tea originated from seeds smuggled out of China by a 19th century Georgian prince. Georgian Prince Miha Eristavi first encountered tea during his travels across China in the 1830s. Impressed with its taste he decided that he would take some seeds back to Georgia. At the time, exporting tea seeds from China was forbidden … Continue reading

About Recreation – “Aqua Lazika”

The most advanced water park in Eastern Europe has opened in Georgia’s newest city, Anaklia City Resort, on the Black Sea coast.  Officially opened by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in August, the water park features a host of exciting water slides, including Family Rattler™, Master Blaster®, Boomerango™, AquaPlay AP350, AquaLoop™, Family Wave Pool, Inner-Tube Slides, Speed … Continue reading

About Sport – Georgia beats The Netherlands to clinch top spot in Group D of the 2013 EuroBasket Qualifiers

11 September – Georgia’s national basketball team beat the Netherlands 97:89 to claim its 6th win in the 2013 EuroBasket Qualifiers. Georgia About was at a packed Tbilisi Sports Hall to watch the action. Georgia secured a 25:21 lead after ten minutes of action. They maintained a margin throughout the second period and scored 29 … Continue reading

About News – Georgia About blog is growing!

GEORGIA ABOUT blog received its highest ever number of views yesterday – we had 6,501 visitors! WordPress is a community of 500,000 bloggers and Georgia About is now in the top 5 blogs that are gaining in popularity. We are at No 3. Shortly after we set up our Georgia About blog top U.K. travel … Continue reading

About Architecture – Sarpi Border Checkpoint

Located on the Black Sea coast, at the border between Turkey and Georgia, the Sarpi Border Checkpoint is a stunning example of contemporary Georgian architecture. Designed by J. MAYER H. architects and completed in November 2011, the 40 meter high tower consists of multiple levels overlooking the Black Sea coastline. Sarpi is a major business travel … Continue reading

About News – Georgia contributes more troops to peacekeeping in Afghanistan.

At a ceremony on 6 September, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Defence Minister Dimitri Shashkini bid farewell to Georgian military servicemen who are to be deployed on peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen noted Georgia’s “very significant” contribution to the Alliance-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan, where Georgia will become the … Continue reading

About Culture – Atengenoba Festival

Around 100 days after Easter an ancient festival called “Atengenoba” (Georgian: ათენგენობა) takes place in villages in Tusheti (Georgian: თუშეთი), an isolated mountainous region in the north east of Georgia where life has remained largely unchanged for centuries. Although the Tush are Christian, their culture has retained elements of Georgia’s pre-Christian beliefs and pagan practices still persist. Each village … Continue reading

About History – The Last of the Crusaders?

In his book, “Seven League Boots”, published in 1935, Richard Halliburton described a curious event that occurred in Tbilisi in 1915. On page 162, in the chapter ‘The Last of the Crusaders’ Halliburton wrote: “In the spring of 1915, some months after Russia’s declaration of war against Turkey, a band of twelfth-century Crusaders, covered from head … Continue reading

About Culture – Georgian Dance (Part 1)

Georgian dance (Georgian: ქართული ცეკვა) is a celebration of life and of Georgia’s rich and diverse culture. Each dance portrays the characteristics of the region in which it originated. The mountain dances, such as Khevsuruli or Mtiuluri, are different from valley or lowland dances — e.g. Acharuli and Davluri. The costumes are different for every dance and resemble … Continue reading

About Food – Potato, Rice and Herb Soup with Matsoni

Matsoni (Georgian: მაწონი) is a fermented milk product very similar to yogurt. It is smooth and creamy with a mild, slightly tart flavor. Popular in Georgia and throughout the Caucasus region it is rich in mineral content, protein and calcium and renowned for its health giving properties. In Georgia, matsoni is popular with children and is used in cooking, especially … Continue reading

About Sights – Uplistsikhe Cave City

Literally meaning ‘fortress of the lord’, Uplistsikhe (Georgian: უფლისციხე) dates back as far as the Iron Age and is one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia. Situated 10 km east of the town of Gori on a rocky promontory above the river Mtkvari, the city stood directly on the path of the old Silk Road and was … Continue reading

About Food – Georgian Lobiani (Bean Bread)

Lobiani (Georgian: ლობიანი) is enjoyed all year round and especially eaten on the Georgian holiday of Barbaroba, or St. Barbara’s Day (December 17). In this recipe we will show how to make this delicious bean filled bread. The main ingredient of Lobiani is kidney beans. Ingredients (for lobiani mixture): 500 grams of kidney beans, 300 grams of smoked … Continue reading

About Art – “Statue of Love” in Batumi

A 7 meter steel sculpture of a man and a woman stands on the seashore boulevard of Batumi (Georgian: ბათუმი) on the Black Sea coast of Georgia. Created by Georgian artist Tamar Kvesitadze (Georgian: თამარ კვესიტაძე), the figures move toward each other and merge into one piece every 10 minutes. The Statue of Love sculpture (Georgian: სიყვარულის ქანდაკება) is inspired by the … Continue reading