Imereti: The charm of nature and culture

Located in the western part of Georgia, Imereti attracts visitors by its serene beauty and a long-standing culture. Glorious traces of ancient times, ancient castles, mysterious churches … will take you on an exciting journey.

The beautiful and ancient Kutaisi city. A long-standing culture The Imereti region is surrounded on three sides by mountains and on the west by the Tskhenistskali River, with diverse landscape areas including plains, midlands, meadows and high mountains. Mild, warm winters and hot summers are characteristic of Imereti. The average annual air temperature is from 11-15oC. That diversity gives Imereti an irresistible natural beauty. Viewed from above, this place looks like a colorful picture with an always blue sky. Nature hidden in the blue is compared to “a real paradise”, with gorges, waterfalls and unique caves. Imereti is the largest and most populous area in Georgia. The region includes 11 counties and the city of Kutaisi is the capital of the region. This land has a long history with traces of human life recorded from the old Stone Age. Here, many civilizations have been formed along with historical upheavals. Therefore, the culture of the Imereti region is very different and diverse. Visitors can find monuments of great historical and cultural significance from different eras. Vani, Gelati, Bagrati districts … take you through mazes of myth and history. Kutaisi, the main city of Imereti, is Georgia’s second largest city – after Tbilisi – with tree-lined streets, nineteenth-century houses and magnificent, ancient palaces and monasteries. rate … Imereti people are very friendly, enjoy festivals and love to sing. The region’s folklore and folk songs are widely known domestically, even in Europe. The Imereti are also very famous for their aesthetics. Traditional tiled houses decorated with elaborate carved balconies and colorful outfits are clear examples of that. You can also find fine traditional clothing samples by Imereti in the National Museum of Georgia. The short chokha (modern Georgia’s national dress) is a costume that originated in ancient Imereti. Katskhi Church towering on a stone pillar more than 40m high. The most isolated church in the world From the city of Kutaisi, driving through the beautiful, winding rural roads with a length of about 60km to reach the village of Katskhi, you will be surprised to see Pillar – a natural limestone block over 40m high, standing in the middle space. Towering on the top of the stone pillar is the Katskhi Church, one of the most famous buildings of the Imereti region, also known as the most isolated and holiest church in the world. Katskhi Church was built between the 6th and 8th centuries. In the opinion of many scholars, this ancient church was built by the ascetic monks, who were the first Christians to reach the top of the stone pillar to pray and perform religious ceremonies. However, how they built this church is still a mystery. In addition to the church, this ancient structure also has a burial room, a wine cellar, a curtain wall and three hermit living rooms. Standing from above the church can see the entire surrounding valley, the landscape of the Imereti region with the colorful beauty of the deciduous forests below, the silver-gray limestone slopes and the blue sky overhead. The only way to get to this church is to climb the thin metal stairs fastened to the cliff in about 20 minutes. Every day, the monks living below will take a trip to the top of the mountain to pray, which is supposed to bring them closer to God. Currently, only local religious are allowed to climb to the church – which is especially taboo against women. However, visitors can still learn about this unique church at the complex built at the foot of the rock. You can climb to the first floor of the stone pillar, where there is a prayer area and a 6th-century cross marked in limestone – one of the earliest examples of Christian symbols in existence. now on. Come to Imereti to learn about history, visit the natural landscape and especially explore this unique church in the world, that will definitely give you unforgettable experiences.