Ushguli

Because of their preservation and traditional architecture, Ushguli, Mestia, and the surrounding area was recognized as the Upper Svaneti UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

• Official Name — Ushguli • Native Name — უშგული • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Type1 — Mkhare • Subdivision Name1 — Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti • Subdivision Type2 — District • Subdivision Name2 — Mestia • Population As Of — 2014 • Population Total — 228 • Timezone — Georgian Time • Utc Offset — +4 • Illustration — The historic region of Upper Svaneti in Georgia

Ushguli is located at an altitude of 2100 m near the foot of Shkhara, one of the highest summits of the Greater Caucasus mountains. About 70 families (about 200 people) live in the area, enough to support a small school. The area is snow-covered for 6 months of the year, and often the road to Mestia is impassable. The Lamaria church (named for the goddess Lamaria in Svaneti mythology) in Zhibiani is located on a hilltop dominating the village. The chapel dates back to the 12th century and contains Georgian Golden Age-era frescoes. • Illustration — Medieval towers in Ushguli The most notable feature of the villages in Ushguli are the defensive tower houses found throughout the community. These houses, between 3-5 stories tall, were built primarily between the 9th and 12th centuries. Although many of the towers in the lower towns such as Mestia have fallen into disrepair, the isolation of Ushguli has preserved the towers. Chazhashi, one of the villages within the community, contains over 200 of these towers and has been preserved as a Museum-Reserve. The Mikhail Kalatozov silent film documentary Salt for Svanetia was filmed in Ushguli.

Ushguli consists of the following villages: • Zhibiani (ჟიბიანი) • Chvibiani or Chubiani (ჩვიბიანი • Chazhashi or Chajashi (ჩაჟაში) • Murqmeli (მურყმელი) • Lamjurishi (ლამჯურიში)