MTSKHETA-MTIANETI

Within Dusheti District, there were roads of international significance that connected Asia with Europe for centuries. One of the most important was the Dariali or Aragvi road known as “The Military Highway” since the end of the 18th century.

The territory of Dusheti District, particularly, the Aragvi Valley was previously inhabited from the Neolithic Age. Some artifacts of the Paleolithic Period have been discovered in this district. It is noteworthy that Bazaleti Plateau, Zhinvali area and the mountain such as Didveli were populated in the same period. In the 3rd century B.C. after King Parnavaz divided the Kingdom of Kartli into principalities, present day Dusheti district became subordinate to the principalities of Shida kartli i.e Saspaspeto and Kakhet-Kukheti. Artifacts were discovered at the archeological excavations in Zhinvali providing evidence that in the first century A.D., there was an urban type settlement in the central part of the Aragvi Valley. In 330’s, St Nino arrived in Tsobeni to convert the mountain people to Christianity. When the Kakheti Principality (later becoming kingdom) gained more power (9th-11th centuries), Dusheti District became politically controlled by Kakheti. After the Mongol invasions, the Aragvi Principality isolated itself from Kakheti whereas from a religious prospective, the territory of the district belonged to Mtskheta Patriarchy, Tsilkani and Kharchasho Bishoprics.

The Aragvi Valley has played a significant part in Georgian history. The tribes of the Southern and Northern Caucasus had established strong economic and cultural relations in the Neolithic and early Bronze Age. In the 6th century B.C., nomadic Scythes came to the Southern Caucasus and Asia Minor through the Dariali and Aragvi valleys.

Greek historian Stravon provided the following comments regarding this road, “It is a three day hard walk from the nomadic tribes settled in the north, but then a trail starts to run through the narrow Aragosi Valley that is another four day walk. The end of the road is secured with a barely accessible wall.”

After the Tamerlane invasions, the Dariali-Aragvi road became less important. At the end of the 16th century, the mountainous part of this road deteriorated into an insignificant trail.

From the second half of 18th century, the Dariali road regained its significance. From 1801 when Georgia was forcibly annexed by Russia, the Dariali-Aragvi road became strategically important. It became known as “The military Highway of Georgia” representing one of the main arteries connecting the Caucasus with Russia.

The territory of Dusheti District embraced numerous historical- geographic or historical- ethnographic communities such as: Mtiuelti (Khada, Tskhavati), Gudamakari, Khando, Chartali, Bazaleti, Khorkhi, Pkhovi (present day Pshavi and Khevsureti) and Tsobeni.

Pshavi is situated in the Aragvi Valley. It occupies an area of approximately 550 sq.km.

The Aragvi river flows through Pshavi with its source at the Botana-Borbalo mountain (3.135m).From Pshavi the Aragvi runs to the east and eventually changes course some seven kilometers past Shuapkho where it joins the Khevsureti portion of the Aragvi to form the “Oritskali” (Pshav-Khevsureti Argavi)

The territory of Khevsureti, together with the neighboring area of Pshavi was known to medieval writers under the joint designation Pkhovi.

The Pkhovians are mentioned for the first time in “The Conversion of Kartli.” When St Nino converted the Kingdom of Iberia into Christianity, the residents of Pkhovi were forced to become orthodox; they were even persecuted by the ruling authorities. Therefore, some of them had to flee finding shelters in their neighboring area of Tusheti. According to the description of Pkhovi boundaries provided by a chronicler, it was located on the Pkhovi mountain east to the Gudamakari Valley. It is bordered by Didoeti in the east and Tusheti in the southeast.

Pkhovi's mountain clans refused to obey the king, which led to the incursions of royal troops bent on forcing them into submission. One of the biggest expeditions against the Pkhovians was organized in 1212, during the reign of King Tamara of Georgia. The contemporary chronicle recounts a bloody three-month campaign by Tamar's General Ivane the Atabek that destroyed several Pkhovian villages. "მოუწოდა მეფემან თამარ ათაბაგსა ივანეს, და ყოველთა მთიულთა, დვალთა, ცხრა-ზმელთა, მოხევეთა, ხადელთა, ჭართალთა და ერწო-თიანელთა მისცნა ივანე ათაბაგსა, და წარავლინა მათ-ზედა. ხოლო ივანემ გონიერად ყო, აღვიდა მთასა ხადისასა, და წარვლო წვერი მთისა, და წარდგა მთასა ფხოელთა და დიდოთასა, რომელი ესე არავის ექმნა, არცა პირველ და არცა შემდგომად... და მოწყვიდნეს ურიცხვი კაცი დიდო და ფხოელი. და დაყუნეს სამნი თთუენი, ივნისი, ივლისი და აგვისტოსი… და ესრეთ გამარჯვებული მოვიდეს წინაშე მეფისა". ("ქართლის ცხოვრება", გვ. 484-485).

From that period, the name of this place (Pkhovi) was replaced with the toponyms: Pshavi and Khevsureti. However, its old historical name has survived in the name of the village of Shuapkho.

Khevsureti is located on the northern and southern slopes of the Great Caucasus Mountains, in the valley of the Khevsureti Aragvi.

Khevsureti is bordered by Ingushetia in the north, Chechnya – in the north-east, Tusheti – in the east, Pshavi – in the south and Khevi and Gudamakari – in the west.

Khevsureti is divided into two parts. The larger portion is located on the southern slope of the Great Caucasus Mountains and is called Piraketa Khevsureti. It includes Khevsureti Aragvi Valley. The other part of Khevsureti is situated on the northern slope of the Caucasus Mountain. It is called Pirikita Khevsureti and includes Ardoti, Shatili and Arkhoti Valleys.

Both Piraketa and Pirikita Khevsureti are connected with Arkhoti and Datviskvari Passes.

Trails run to Pirikita Khevsureti from Pshavi. One of them starts from the village of Maturi (3.167 m) leading to the village of Khakhabo while the other begins from Ukana Pshavi running to Ardoti (.(2.738 m)

Dusheti trail starts from Ukana Pshavi leading to Borbalo Pass (3135m) and ends in the Gometsiri Alazani Valley.

The Khada Valley – Starting from the main Caucasus ridge, the Mtiuleti Tetri Aragvi joins the Gudamakari (Shavi) and the Khevsureti Aragvi on the way. Before that, several other tributaries merge the Aragvi River forming small valleys. One of them is the Khada Valley. Due to its special geographic location, it played a significant role in the cultural and political life of Georgia. The great number of fortifications and churches found in the Khada Valley (that stretches along 12km) provide evidence of this.

The Khada River merges with the Aragvi River at Kvesheti. The natural setting is gorgeous with its beautiful mixture of rocks and spacious fields. A serpentine road leads up to a vast hollow. The Khada valley is surrounded with the high mountains rising to the sky. The most impressive feature of all is the uneven ridge blocking the passage to the valley from the north. The alpine fields widely span on the slopes of the mountain surrounding the valley.

Both embankments of the Khada River, the hills and the fields are occupied by picturesque small villages with traditional local shale flat-roofed houses. The villages are sparsely populated. The settlements blend harmoniously with the natural and peaceful setting of the valley.