Welcome to Orthodox Georgia

General Information about Georgia

Territory: 69.7 sq.km
Population: 5.26 mln.(72 % of Georgians, also Russians, Azerbaijanians, etc),
                84% of them are orthodox christians
Capital city: Tbilisi
Time: GMT + 4hours
Telephone: Country code  995
                    Tbilisi code   32
Power supply: 220volt, 50 Hz
Climate: Western Georgia (seaside) - subtropical
                min 5.2 C;  max 24.4 C.
               Eastern Georgia (plains) - continental warm 0.5;    25.8;
                                                           continental cold   5.1;    16.5.
Monetary unit: 1 lari = 100 tetri
                          2 lari = 1 USD
Language: Georgian - State language.
                   People can speak Russian fluently
                   English is spoken in a number of offices.

  Ethnogeny Together with several types of North-Caucasian families,Georgians form ancient indigenous population of the Caucasus. They take origins from the Proto-Indo-Europian period ( IV-III millenium B.C.).

A lot of archeological monuments are protected in various museums of Georgia. They bear witnesses to the relationships between Georgians and ancient nations of Shumerians, Pelasgians, Hurrians. By that time Georgians were probably occupying a large territory to the south from theCaucasus - to the north-east of Asia Minor, in the north part of Messopotamia.

After the migration of Indo-Europeans, Ibero-Caucasian nations (Georgians), were localized in the Caucasian region.

Language: The main branch of Iberian-Caucasian linguistic family is the group of Kartvelian languages, which consists of three kinded of languages: Georgian, Zanian, and Svan.

Written Language: Among the now existant 14 alphabets one is Georgian. There are three kinds of it: "Asomtavruli" (capital script), "Khutsuri" (ecclesiastical script) and "Mkhsdruli" (civil or, literraly, military). The oldest specimen of Georgian scriptures is made in the first part of V century in the Georgian cloister of Palestine. The oldest literary monument, which reached the present days belongs to the midst of V century.

Education: In the III-IV century AD in Georgia there was a well-known rhetorical academy in the city of Phasis. Here studied the famous Greek philosophers Themistios and Eugenius, as they testify in their letters. Georgian monasteries in Palestine ( V century ), of mount Sinai ( IX century ), of mount Athos ( X century, Greece ) were the educational centres where the educational and translational activity was carried.

In the XII century Academies of Gelati and Ikalto were founded in Georgia.

Architecture: The Georgian architectural style is characterized by the original form of so called "Hall-style". It is also characterized by the towns cut in the rocks in the second part of I millenium (BC).

Georgia is studded with ancient castles and churches.

Art: In the Georgian museums are kept the specimens of art of IV-III millenium (BC). Georgian world of II century (BC) knew the mosaic art. From the 5th century Georgian churches are decorated with stone ornaments. Georgian art is characterized by original chasing style, unique fresco and enamel.

Music: Georgian enviroment has kept up to present days specimens of ancient songs and dance, unique polyphonic (three and four voice) folk songs and religious hymns.

Some historical Georgian toponyms:  Colchis (XIII BC), Tabals and Mushkis (X BC), Suspers (VII BC), Diaoch (VIII BC), Iberia (IV BC), Kartlin (IV AD), Abkhazia (VII AD), Tao-Klarjeti (IX AD), Sakartvelo (XII AD).
 
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