REGION OF SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI TODAY IS PART OF OLD MESKHETI AND INCLUDES THREE HISTORICAL PROVINCES – SAMTSKHE, JAVAKHETI AND TORI. THE TOTAL AREA OF THE REGION IS 6 421 SQ.KM.

 

COMPRISES 6 ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS – MUNICIPALITIES OF BORJOMI, ADIGENI, ASPINDZA, AKHALKALAKI, AKHALTSIKHE AND NINOTSMINDA.

 

REGION HAS FAVORABLE GEOPOLITICAL LOCATION ENABLING IT TO DEVELOP COMMERCIAL, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEIGHBOR COUNTRIES.

 

BAKU-TBILISI-CEYHAN OIL PIPELINE, TRANSCAUCASIA GAS PIPELINE AS WELL AS MARABDA-KARTSAKHIKARS RAILWAY RUN ACROSS THE REGION.

 

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND CULTURALLY FURTHERED PROVINCE OF GEORGIA IN THE PAST IS RICH WITH MONUMENTS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE – STARTING FROM SETTLEMENT BELONGING TO EARLY ANTIQUE AGE AND BURIAL MOUNDS AND ENDING WITH FORTRESS SETTLEMENTS CONSTRUCTED DRILY, WITHOUT MORTAR, FROM CYCLOPEAN, HUGE BOULDERS; WALLS, TOWERS AND BURIALS.

 

FROM THE NATURAL FEATURES OF THE REGION, PETRIFIED FLORA ON THE EASTERN SLOPE OF GODERDZI PASS ALSO CALLED ‘GODERDZI PETRIFIED FOREST’ DATING FROM TERTIARY PERIOD, AND JAVAKHETI NATIONAL PARK, ONE OF THE MAIN ROUTES OF BIRD MIGRATION, ARE WORTH MENTIONING.

 

SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI IS CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOLARS AS THE CRADLE OF GEORGIAN GRAIN AND GEORGIAN GRAPES.

 

DURING EXCAVATIONS WINE KVEVRI (CLAY VAT) AND WINE CELLARS WERE UNCOVERED EVEN IN SUCH PLACES WHERE GRAPES DOES NOT GROW FOR CENTURIES. RESORTS OF BORJOMI GROUP ARE ONE OF THE MAJOR AND MOST IMPORTANT RECREATIONAL RESOURCES OF SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI.