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

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 ...

, at an elevation of in the

Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains, : pronounced * hy, Կովկասյան լեռներ, : pronounced * az, Qafqaz dağları, pronounced * rus, Кавка́зские го́ры, Kavkázskiye góry, kɐfˈkasːkʲɪje ˈɡorɨ * tr, Kafkas Dağla ...

General information

Mestia is located in the

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 ...

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. It is usually translated as "region". According to presidential decrees in 1994 and 1996, Georgia's division into regions is on a pr ...

''), some northeast of the regional capital of

Zugdidi Zugdidi ( ka, ზუგდიდი; xmf, 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 kil ...

. 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

province. It was formerly known as Seti (სეტი). The population is mostly Svans, a cultural and linguistic subgroup of the Georgians. 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 is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

s. Mestia is served by the

Queen Tamar Airport Queen Tamar Airport , or Mestia Airport, is a small domestic airport serving Mestia, a town in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Georgia. Since its reopening in 2010 it is named after the medieval "queen king" regnant Tamar of Georgia, who is a popular sy ...

, which is operated by the state-owned company '' United Airports of Georgia'', since 2010.

Architecture and attractions

The townlet is dominated by stone defensive towers of a type seen in

Ushguli Ushguli ( ka, უშგული) is a community of five villages located at the head of the Enguri gorge in Svaneti, Georgia. Ushguli is one of the highest continuously inhabited settlements in Europe. Compared to somewhat more developed towns li ...

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. Mestia

Twin towns

Born in Mestia

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

References

External links