Imereti
Encyclopedia
Imereti is a province in Georgia
situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river
. It consists of the following Georgian administrative-territorial units:
The province's main city is Kutaisi
; other urban industrial centers include Samtredia
, Chiatura
(manganese production centre), Tkibuli
(coal
mining centre), Zestaponi
(known for metals production), Khoni
, and Sachkhere
. Traditionally, Imereti is an agricultural region, known for its mulberries
and grapes.
The 800,000 Imeretians speak a Georgian
dialect
; they are one of the local culture-groups of the ethnically subdivided Georgian people
.
In late antiquity
and early Middle Ages
the ancient western Georgian kingdom of Egrisi
existed on the territory of Imereti. Its king declared Christianity
as an official religion of Egrisi in 523 AD. In 975-1466 Imereti was part of the united Georgian Kingdom. Since its disintegration in the 15th century, Imereti was an independent kingdom.
In the 17th-18th centuries the kingdom of Imereti suffered frequent invasions by the Turks
and recognized to patronage of Ottoman Empire
until 1810, when it was occupied and annexed by the Russian Empire
. The last King of Imereti was Solomon II
(1789-1810).
From 1918–1921, Imereti was part of the independent Democratic Republic of Georgia
. Within the USSR, the region was part of the Transcaucasian SFSR
from 1922–1936, and part of the Georgian SSR from 1936–1991. Since Georgian independence in 1991, Imereti has been a region in the Republic of Georgia with Kutaisi as the regional capital.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river
Rioni River
The Rioni or Rion River is the main river of western Georgia. It originates in the Caucasus Mountains, in the region of Racha and flows west to the Black Sea, entering it north of the city of Poti...
. It consists of the following Georgian administrative-territorial units:
- KutaisiKutaisiKutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
(city) - BaghdatiBaghdatiBaghdati is a town of 4,800 people in the Imereti region of western Georgia, at the edge of the Ajameti forest on the Chanistskali River. From 1940 to 1990, it was called Mayakovsky after the Russian poet who was born there.-History:...
region - VaniVaniVani is a town in Imereti region of western Georgia, at the Sulori river , 41 km southwest from the regional capital Kutaisi...
region - Zestafoni region
- TerjolaTerjolaTerjola is a town in Imereti, Georgia, serving as an administrative center of the homonymous district.Terjola is situated in the Imereti Lowland in western Georgia, on the right bank of the Chkhara river. It lies on the Tbilisi-Zestaponi highway, 190 km northwest of Tbilisi and 14 km...
region - SamtrediaSamtrediaSamtredia is a town in Imereti, Georgia, lying in a lowland between the rivers Rioni and Tskhenis-Tsqali, 244 km west of Tbilisi, and 27 km west of Kutaisi, the nation’s capital and the second largest city respectively. Georgia’s most important roads and railways converge there, making Samtredia...
region - SachkhereSachkhereSachkhere is a town at the northern edge of the Imereti Province in Western Georgia....
region - TkibuliTkibuliTkibuli or Tqibuli is a town in west-central Georgia, Imereti Region. It is located at around . It is situated at the northern edge of Imereti region, close to the region of Rach'a, at the foot of Nakerala mountain. The town is a coal mining centre. Tkibuli is located between two man-made...
region - ChiaturaChiaturaChiatura is a city in the Imereti region of Western Georgia. In 1989, it had a population of about 30,000. It is inland, in a mountain valley on the banks of the Kvirila River, and since 1879 has been a major centre of manganese production in the Caucasus. There is a rail link to transport...
region - Tskaltubo region
- KharagauliKharagaulikharagauli is an administrative center of Kharagauli district in Georgia. It is situated on both banks of Chkherimela river in a narrow and deep gorge, 280-400m above the sea level....
region - KhoniKhoniKhoni is a town in the Western Georgian region of Imereti with the population of 11,300 . It is situated on the left bank of the Tskhenistkali River in the north-west of Imereti, close to the border with the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and 266 km west of Georgia's capital Tbilisi. The town...
region
The province's main city is Kutaisi
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
; other urban industrial centers include Samtredia
Samtredia
Samtredia is a town in Imereti, Georgia, lying in a lowland between the rivers Rioni and Tskhenis-Tsqali, 244 km west of Tbilisi, and 27 km west of Kutaisi, the nation’s capital and the second largest city respectively. Georgia’s most important roads and railways converge there, making Samtredia...
, Chiatura
Chiatura
Chiatura is a city in the Imereti region of Western Georgia. In 1989, it had a population of about 30,000. It is inland, in a mountain valley on the banks of the Kvirila River, and since 1879 has been a major centre of manganese production in the Caucasus. There is a rail link to transport...
(manganese production centre), Tkibuli
Tkibuli
Tkibuli or Tqibuli is a town in west-central Georgia, Imereti Region. It is located at around . It is situated at the northern edge of Imereti region, close to the region of Rach'a, at the foot of Nakerala mountain. The town is a coal mining centre. Tkibuli is located between two man-made...
(coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mining centre), Zestaponi
Zestaponi
Zestafoni or Zestaponi is the capital of Zestaponi District in Western Georgia, which is part of Imereti province.It is an important industrial center, with a large ferro-alloy plant processing manganese ore from nearby Chiatura....
(known for metals production), Khoni
Khoni
Khoni is a town in the Western Georgian region of Imereti with the population of 11,300 . It is situated on the left bank of the Tskhenistkali River in the north-west of Imereti, close to the border with the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and 266 km west of Georgia's capital Tbilisi. The town...
, and Sachkhere
Sachkhere
Sachkhere is a town at the northern edge of the Imereti Province in Western Georgia....
. Traditionally, Imereti is an agricultural region, known for its mulberries
Mulberry
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae. The 10–16 species of deciduous trees it contains are commonly known as Mulberries....
and grapes.
The 800,000 Imeretians speak a Georgian
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
dialect
Georgian dialects
Georgian is a South Caucasian, or Kartvelian, language spoken by about 4.1 million people primarily in Georgia, but also in Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan. It is a highly standardized language, with the first attempts to establish literary and linguistic norms dating back to the 5th century AD...
; they are one of the local culture-groups of the ethnically subdivided Georgian people
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
.
In late antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
and early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
the ancient western Georgian kingdom of Egrisi
Egrisi
Lazica or Egrisi in Georgian |Georgia]], named after the Laz tribe, which at some time dominated the local ruling élite.The kingdom flourished between the 6th century BC and the 7th century AD. It covered part of the territory of the former kingdom Colchis and subjugated the territory of modern...
existed on the territory of Imereti. Its king declared Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
as an official religion of Egrisi in 523 AD. In 975-1466 Imereti was part of the united Georgian Kingdom. Since its disintegration in the 15th century, Imereti was an independent kingdom.
In the 17th-18th centuries the kingdom of Imereti suffered frequent invasions by the Turks
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and recognized to patronage of Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
until 1810, when it was occupied and annexed by the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. The last King of Imereti was Solomon II
Solomon II of Imereti
Solomon II , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was the last King of Imereti from 1789 to 1790 and from 1792 until his deposition by the Imperial Russian government in 1810....
(1789-1810).
From 1918–1921, Imereti was part of the independent Democratic Republic of Georgia
Democratic Republic of Georgia
The Democratic Republic of Georgia , 1918–1921, was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia.The DRG was created after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Within the USSR, the region was part of the Transcaucasian SFSR
Transcaucasian SFSR
The Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic , also known as the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the TSFSR for short, was a short-lived republic of the Soviet Union, lasting from 1922 to 1936...
from 1922–1936, and part of the Georgian SSR from 1936–1991. Since Georgian independence in 1991, Imereti has been a region in the Republic of Georgia with Kutaisi as the regional capital.