Kakheti (Kaxeti, Georgian:) is a historical province in Eastern Georgia
inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered
by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus
mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan
to the Southeast, and the Georgian province of Kartli to the west. Kakheti
is geographically divided into the Inner Kakheti to the east of Tsiv-Gombori
mountain-range and the Outer Kakheti to the west of it. The major river
of the eastern part is Alazani, while that of the western part is the
Iori.
The Georgian David Gareja monastery complex is partially located in this
province and is subject to a border dispute between Georgian and Azerbaijani
authorities
Geography
Beyond the modern-day administrative subdivision into the districts,
Kakheti has traditionally been subdivided into four parts: Inner Kakheti
(Shignit Kakheti) along the right bank of the Alazani River, Outer Kakheti
(Gare Kakheti) along the middle Iori River basin, Qiziki between the Alazani
and the Iori, and Thither Area (Gaghma Mkhari) on the left bank of the
Alazani. It also includes the medieval region of Hereti whose name has
fallen into gradual oblivion since the 15th century.
History
Kakheti was an independent feudal principality from the end of the eighth
century. It was incorporated into the united Georgian Kingdom at the beginning
of the eleventh century, but for less than a decade. Only in the beginning
of the twelfth century did Georgian King David the Builder (1089–1125)
incorporate Kakheti into his Kingdom successfully.
After the disintegration of the Georgian Kingdom, Kakheti became an independent
Kingdom in the 1460s. In 1762, the Kakhetian Kingdom was united with the
neighboring Georgian Kingdom of Kartli, with the capital of the former,
Telavi also capital of the Albanian Hereti, becoming the capital of the
united Eastern-Georgian Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti and assimilation of albanians
strengthened by church. Both Kingdoms were weakened by frequent Persian
invasions. In 1801 the Kingdom of Kartl-Kakheti was annexed to the Tsarist
Russian Empire.
In 1918–1921 Kakheti was part of independent Democratic Republic
of Georgia, in 1922–1936 part of Transcaucasian SFSR and in 1936–1991
part of Georgian SSR. Since the Georgian independence in 1991, Kakheti
is a region in the Republic of Georgia and Telavi is still its capital.
Travel Information
The travel infrastructure in Kakheti is fast developing, since it is
the most visited region of Georgia. One can choose to stay in a guest
house, in a small and comfortable hotel, or a beautiful boutique-style
hotel while traveling in this Region. Telavi and Signagi are the most
visited towns. Signagi was renovated three years ago. Until recently there
were only some family hotels (simple rooms in a family-owned house with
a shared bathroom), but now Signagi features several hotels, one of them
being the most popular due to its interior and restaurant - "Hotel
Pirosmani", named after the famous Georgian artist.
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