- Sort by
- Date
Feel free to add tags, names, dates or anything you are looking for
Feel free to add tags, names, dates or anything you are looking for
Ushguli is a community in Upper Svaneti. It is one of the highest mountain settlements in Europe, and is situated at a height of 2,200m above sea level. Four villages make up the community of Ushguli: Murkmeli, Chazhashi, Chvibiani, and Zhibiani, which follow the Enguri Valley, beginning from the headwaters of the River Enguri at the foot of Mount Shkhara, and are distributed along one vertical axis like a string of beads. The Ushguli community is bounded to the east by the vast Caucasus Mountains, whose branches border the valley to the north and to the south with the Svaneti mountain range. Accordingly, the villages of the community are bordered on three sides by mountains, and may be viewed against the backdrop of the breathtaking Mount Shkhara, perpetually covered with snow, which is enclosed by a valley .
Chazhashi, one of the Ushguli community villages in Upper Svaneti that is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is distinguished from the others owing to the highly preserved condition and aesthetic value of its historical structures. Chazhashi is situated on a partially natural rocky promontory at the confluence of the Enguri and Kvishari rivers, which flow from east to west. Chazhashi is a settlement of major strategic importance with a high defense potential owing to its peculiarities of location and natural relief, which thus conditions its significance among the villages of Ushguli.