MOUNTAIN
REGIONS OF GEORGIA
 The
major part of the territory of Georgia is mountainous, therefore
some of its regions like Svaneti, Khevsureti, Tusheti, Pshavi,
Mtiuleti, Khevi and Racha are hidden in high mountains. Each
of them has its own history and traditions but they all have
something in common: deep gorges, dense forests, sub-alpine
and alpine meadows and of course high Caucasus mountains.
In winter most of these regions are cut off by snow, communities
are isolated andlocked among the gorges.The valleys, flanked
by jagged peaks, lead  up
to glaciers and ice cold waterfalls. Slopes are dotted with
little villages, hilltops are crowned with churches and fortresses,
but scenic landscapes are not the only thing the mountains
can offer! Travelling in the mountains is an experience for
life! Little has changed there since the middle ages. The
fields are still worked with the scythe, and the ox and cart
still remain the usual mode of transport. The people in the
mountains live in a world of their own. They are proud and
haughty and they have never had a master ruling over them.
Even the continual aggressions of the enemy could not break
their bellicose character. Although Christians, their religious
practices still include some pagan elements. Of course, ancient
customs and traditions are very closely followed. In some
parts the blood feud has been observed even in the 20th
century. People in the mountains have always built their houses
very close to each other so that together they would make
one large fortress. The whole village would appear to be a
single fortification. The fortress villages of Arkhoti and
Shatili are still well preserved even today. Everything was
 thoroughly
taken into consideration for protecting themselves and repelling
the enemy. Even entrance doors to houses are very low - inconvenient,
of course, but it made it difficult for an armed enemy to
enter. There are some customs in the mountains that foreigners
find very strange. One of them is the so-called “stsorproba”.
A young couple before marriage could lie together during the
night with a sword placed between them. Sexual intercourse
between the pair was strictly forbidden. Any man who breached
this rule was condemned to death. This tradition helped the
men develop a chivalrous and courageous nature and respect
towards women. Travelling in the mountains will take you to some interesting villages - Shatili,
Mutso, Khakhmati, Omalo, Shenako, Dartlo.
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