Khevsureti

Introducing Khevsureti

The mountain region east of Khevi is Khevsureti, a sparsely populated district bordering Chechnya that is home to some fantastic mountain defensive architecture and some unique traditions – including a part-animist religion, the wearing of chain mail well into the 20th century and costumes embroidered with unusual, tiny cross and star patterns – as well as being credited with inventing khinkali.

Today Khevsureti’s old culture is clinging to life. But its spectacular villages and landscapes of steep, forested valleys and blooming mountain pastures are still there to be enjoyed by determined travellers who don’t mind the scarcity of transport and food. Incipient tourism provides some sustenance for a few villagers. Those visitors who come should bring at least some food with them, and some warm clothes as it can get cold at night even in summer. It’s also a big help if you’re prepared to camp.

The road to Khevsureti turns northeast off the Georgian Military Highway shortly before the Zhinvali Reservoir and runs up the Pshavis Aragvi valley to the villages of Barisakho and Biso, before turning east (now a jeep track) and over the high Datvis-Jvari Pass (open from about June to October), and then northeast down the Argun valley to Shatili, the main village of inner Khevsureti.

Barisakho, about 100km from Tbilisi, is the largest village of the region, with a population of about 200. At Korsha, 2km past Barisakho, there’s a small but interesting museum of Khevsur life, with armour, weapons, agricultural implements and the art of its curator, Shota Arabuli. From Korsha it’s about a 7km walk up to Roshka, a small, muddy village off the main road, on the route towards the Roshka (Chaukhi) Pass.

East of Biso, Gudani village, about 1km up from the road, is a striking group of tower houses on a rock outcrop. Some 8km past Gudani comes the Datvis-Jvari Pass (2876m), from which it’s 18km northeast to Shatili. Shatili’s old town, built between the 7th and 13th centuries, is an agglomeration of tall towers clinging together on a rocky outcrop to form a single fortress-like whole. The old town was abandoned between the 1960s and ’80s, and the new village, of about 20 houses, is just around the hill. But several towers have recently been restored and one contains a museum.

From Shatili the track continues 3km northeast to the border of Chechnya. Before the border you’ll encounter a ‘No Entry’ sign, but you can turn south up the Andaki valley to almost-empty Mutso, about 8km from Shatili. Mutso’s roofless old village on a very steep rock pinnacle across the river is one of the most spectacular in Khevsureti, with large stone tombs in which you can see human skulls. Ardoti is 6km further up the valley beyond Mutso. From Andaki (uninhabited), a similar distance beyond Ardoti, begins the very steep route over the 3431m Atsunta Pass into Tusheti.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009