Akhkerpi ( ka, ახკერპი) is a village 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

Kvemo Kartli Kvemo Kartli ( ka, ქვემო ქართლი, az, Aşağı Kartli) or "Lower Kartli", is a historic province and current administrative region (mkhare) in southeastern Georgia. The city of Rustavi is the regional capital. Location Kvem ...

region, located in the extreme southwestern part of

Marneuli Municipality Marneuli ( ka, მარნეულის მუნიციპალიტეტი, az, Marneuli Bələdiyyəsi) is a municipality in Georgia, in the region of Kvemo Kartli. Its administrative center and main town is Marneuli. Location ...

at the

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

with

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...

. The village is about southwest of the municipal center

Marneuli Marneuli ( ka, მარნეული , az, Sarvan) is a town in the Kvemo Kartli region of southern Georgia and administrative center of Marneuli Municipality that borders neighboring Azerbaijan and Armenia. Toponymy According to Georgian so ...

and south of capital

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...

. Achkerpi is the center of the eponymous administrative community (თემი, ''temi'') that includes the nearby villages of Chanakhchi and Verkhviani. Achkerpi has a vehicular border crossing with Armenia, which is the least used border checkpoint in Georgia with 133 incoming foreign travellers in 2019. In the border area with Armenia a few religious-cultural heritage sites are claimed by both countries, which has led to friction between the Georgian and Armenian churches.

Demography

According to the last census of 2014, the village of Achkerpi had 610 residents. Two of the three villages that make up the administrative Achkerpi community are mono-ethnic

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

except for a few Georgians. The settlement of Verkhviani is populated by four ethnic

Georgians The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...

Sights

Several religious-cultural monuments can be found near Akhkerpi, two of which are located in the border area with Armenia and are claimed by both countries. This has led to border disputes in the past. * Khorakert Monastery ( ka, ხორაკერტის, tr; hy, Խորակերտ, translit=Khorakert). This is a 12th-13th century monastic complex with church in the Georgian-Armenian border area, roughly 2 kilometers south of the village of Chanakhchi on the left side of the Shulaveri River. On the site the remains of two small 10th century Georgian hall churches can be found as well. Khorakert is only accessible from the Georgian side via Chanakhchi. * Khujabi ( ka, ხუჯაბი, tr) or Khuchap () Monastery. This is a 13th century monastery with a basilica in the Georgian-Armenian border area near Akhkerpi. The site, which was within the borders of the former

Georgian SSR The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ka, საქართველოს საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა, tr; russian: Грузинская Советская Соц� ...

, is disputed between the two countries. In 2005, a Georgian camera crew came under fire by Armenian border guards, and the site has been effectively under Armenian control ever since. * Ruines of Our Lady Church in Verkhviani. The 17th century church is located at the local cemetery. Three walls are still partly standing. In 2015, it was placed on the list of protected cultural heritage. In the same village, a late medieval stone arch bridge spanning the 10-metre deep gorge of a local stream was declared protected cultural heritage in 2015.

Transport and border crossing

Akhkerpi is relatively isolated, at the end of the ''route of domestic importance'' Sh37 from

Sadakhlo Sadakhlo ( Georgian: სადახლო, az, Sadaxlı) is a village in Georgia located in the southern part of country in the administrative territory of Marneuli Municipality (Kvemo Kartli Region) at the border with Armenia. The village is a ...

, the village's only link with the rest of Georgia. This road ends at the Armenian border and continues from there H34 (Հ34) to Privolnoye and

Stepanavan Stepanavan ( hy, Ստեփանավան), is a town and municipal community in the Lori Province of Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The ...

. It is Georgia's smallest and least used border crossing, with 133 arriving (foreign) travelers in 2019.

References

{{Reflist Populated places in Marneuli Municipality Borders of Georgia (country)