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Svaneti Svaneti is one of highland ancient provinces of Western Georgia (now Zemo Svaneti (the Upper Svaneti) is a part of the Region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Kvemo Svaneti (the lower Svaneti) is a part of the Region of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti). The inhabitants of Svaneti - Svans are ethnic Georgians (one of the local culture-groups of ethnically subdivided Georgian people), indigenous population of this province. Svaneti is surrounded by high mountains and peaks - the Tetnuldi, the Ushba, the Shkhara, the Aylama, the Rustaveli, which are rushing up to the sky like giant guards of Georgia. Here are lots of rapid mountain rivers. Here begins impetuous Enguri (or Inguri) river and the largest Enguri Hydro-Elecric Power Station is was built here also. Svaneti was part of the ancient Western Georgian Kingdom of Egrisi since the 4th century. In the 7th century Svaneti was incorporated into Western Georgian Principality of Abkhazia, which population was mostly Georgian and Since the late of 8th century its capital was Kutaisi. Since the late of the 10th century Svaneti was incorporated into the united Georgian Kingdom together with above mentioned Principality. After the disintegration of Georgian Kingdom in the 15th century Svaneti became an independend Principality, which was abolished and gradually annexed by the Russian Empire in 1857-1859. in 1918-1921 Svaneti was part of independent Democratic Republic of Georgia, in 1922-1936 part of Transcaucasian FSSR, in 1936-1991 part of Georgian SSR. Since Georgian independence in 1991 it is part of the Republic of Georgia and its two sections are separately incorporated into two administrative regions as mentioned above. Famous Svanetian towers make the villages more attractive. Most of them are built in the 9th-12th centuries AD. The oldest towers dated the end of the 1st millennium BC. Christian (Georgian Orthodox) churches (10th-14th centuries) preserved brilliant samples of the Georgian material and spiritual culture (repousse icons, manuscripts, etc.). There are two districts in Svaneti: Mestia (the Upper Svaneti) and Lentekhi (the Lower Svaneti). Svaneti is famous for its minerals and medicinal mineral springs. The Mountaineering is developed here. Local well-known cliff-climbers received worldwide renown. The well-known mountaineer, "The Rock Tiger" Mikheil Khergiani was born here. Adapted from the Wikinfo article Svaneti by Levan Urushadze, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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