Kaukasus: July 2005

31 July 2005

A Khevsur from Juta- Lagaza Arabuli

One of the most respected persons in Khevsureti is Lagaza Arabuli from Juta. He is 73 years old now and one of my best friends.

The Chaukhi-Massiv of 3842m is just behind Juta, on the other side is the village Roshka.

14 July 2005

Caucasus Solitude

That's why I am here

Hans Heiner Buhr 2004

13 July 2005

Tusheti- Mountainworld August 2005 Georgia Greater Caucasus

Last Chance for Tusheti Mountain Journey 13.08.- 26.08. 2005 the best time to visit Georgias Balcony, the wonderful Tusheti, a Journey you'll never forget

Impressions from Tusheti here

Programme in short

13.08. Arrival, Sightseeing Tbilisi

14.08. Transfer to Eastern Georgia, Kakheti (160km) to Village Alwani, Sightseeing Kakheti: Shuamta and Alawerdi

15.08. Transfer with Russian Off-Road Jeeps to Omalo/Tusheti via the Abano-Pass (2950m)

16.08. Trekking and sightseeing around Omalo

17.08. Trekking to Dochu

Near Jvarboseli

18.08. Trekking to Jvarboseli and Tsovata, Overnight Stay in Shepherders Camp

19.08. Trekking around Tsovata

20.08. Trekking around Tsovata

21.08. Transfer to ancient villages Parsma and Dartlo

22.08. Trekking to Girevi

23.08. Transfer to Diklo and Shenako

24.08. Trekking in the area of Diklo/Shenako

25.08. Transfer back to Kakheti

26.08. Transfer to Tbilisi

Slight changes of this programme may occure at your request/or on weather conditions

Price: 1250,- Euro

Contact: info@kaukasus-reisen.de

At Parsma

Girevi

Puppies

Georgia with our Destinations

11 July 2005

Imam Shamil- The Lion of Dagestan

Shamil is still a Hero in the Mountainous Regions of Georgia, and of course in the whole Northern Caucasus. The title Imam made him the Religious and Common Leader of the Mountain People of Dagestan and Chechnya. He was famous for his courage, honesty and resistance, his devotion to Religion and to his Homeland: Dagestan and Chechnya. The Army of 200.000 Tsarist troops under the command of Prince Bariatinski couldnt defeat him before they took the help of the Georgian Generals Vakhtang and Grigol Orbeliani and their troops including the Mountain experienced Khevsurs and Tushs between others. Shamil got driven to his Mountain fortress Gunib in Dagestan, where he surrendered in front of the superiority. He met later with the Tsar, got exiled to Kaluga, but in 1869 permission to retire to the Holy town Mecca. He died while visiting Medina in 1871. Read further on the heroic Imam Shamil at Wikipedia in English
and in Deutsch
This is a photo of Shamil and his son from 1859 by the Photographer Alexander Ivanitski
found on Photomuseum Georgia.

The famous Georgian Painter Niko Pirosmani (1862-1918) made two impressive paintings on Shamils history, they belong today to the State Museum of Fine Arts of Georgia, Tbilisi and I found those images on the profound website on Pirosmani by Tatiana and Vera Kofyan : The Russian Avant- Garde Gallery

Shamil with a Bodyguard. Oil on oil-cloth, 112x90 cm. The State Museum of Fine Arts of Georgia, Tbilisi

Sheteh Helps Prince Bariatinsky to Apprehend Shamil. Oil on oil-cloth, 113x89 cm. The State Museum of Fine Arts of Georgia, Tbilisi

Sheteh is dressed like a Khevsur, but I am not sure, who he was. More Information kindly appreciated.

17.10. Thanks to an anonymous commenter we know now, that Shete was a Tushetian warrior:

"Shete Guluhaidze was famos tushetian warrior and chieftain. With his mobile group of highlanders he made hundreds of raids into territory of Shamil's imamat... Together with detachments of khevsurian, mtiuletian and pshavian warriors he carried out many military operations considered impossible by commanding staff of Russian Generals. Some of the local stories about Shete Guluhaidze were recorded by famous russian intelligence service agent and spy Zisserman ( "25 years in Caucasus" and " History of K. regiment", and also by Alexander Duma in his " Kaukasus"

Reisebericht vom Chewsuretien der 80er Jahre

Frau Dr. Wandrowski bereiste zusammen mit Ihrem Mann Andrej Inguschetien im Nordkaukasus und Chewsuretien in Georgien wiederholt in den 80er Jahren. Für mich gibt es in diesem Erfahrungsschatz unheimlich viele neue interessante Details und Fotos. Der Reisebericht"Was mich in den 80-ger Jahren nach Georgien und Chewsuretien führte" ist ein PDF mit 170 kb Link:
http://www.kaukasus-reisen.de/reiseberichte/Kaukasus-wandrowski.pdf
Mein herzlicher Dank an Frau Wandrowski für die Zusammenstellung ihrer Erlebnisse.

Go and see the Blog on Georgia

here: http://georgien.blogspot.com

09 July 2005

King David the Builder's fight against 300.000 Seljuk Turks at Didgori

King David the Builder’s army of 40,000 Georgians, 15,000 Kipchak auxiliaries, 500 Alan mercenaries and 300 French Crusaders in a battle against 300.000 Seljuk Turks at August,12 in 1121. Read about this battle at Wikipedia
Even thrilling is the history of the Alans,the forefathers of the Ossetian today.
Did those French Crusaders later settled in the Region of Khevsureti and influenced the strong use of crosses, chain mail, bucklers and swords ?