Mestia ( ) is a highland townlet (daba) in northwest Georgia, at an elevation of in the Caucasus Mountains.
General information Mestia is located in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti province (mkhare), some northeast of the regional capital of Zugdidi. Mestia and the adjoining 132 villages form Mestia District (raioni). Its area is ; and its population is 9,316 (1,973 in the town itself), according to the 2014 Georgia census. It was granted the status of a townlet (Georgian: daba) in 1968.
Historically and ethnographically, Mestia has always been regarded a chief community of Zemo, or Upper Svaneti province. It was formerly known as Seti (სეტი). The population is mostly Svans, a cultural and linguistic subgroup of the Georgians. Despite its small size, the townlet was an important centre of Georgian culture for centuries and contains a number of medieval monuments, such as churches and forts, included in a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Mestia is served by the Queen Tamar Airport, which is operated by the state-owned company United Airports of Georgia since 2010.
Architecture and attractions The townlet is dominated by stone defensive towers of a type seen in Ushguli and Mestia proper ("Svan towers"). A typical Svan fortified dwelling consisted of a tower, an adjacent house (machubi) and some other household structures encircled by a defensive wall.
Unique icons and manuscripts are kept in Mestia Historical-Ethnographic Museum. Mestia is also a centre of mountaineering tourism.
The town is the starting point for the popular Mestia-Ushguli trail. Most hikers complete this route in four days, sleeping in guesthouses or in local farmhouses.
Twin towns- Sister cities San Gimignano, Italy (since 1975) Telšiai, Lithuania (since 2018)
Born in Mestia Mikheil Khergiani (1932–1969), a mountain climber
See also Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Tviberi Glacier Administrative divisions of Georgia (country) Lists of World Heritage Sites#Asia
References
External links
Frescos and icons from Svaneti
Mestia is the host of the International Short and Mountain film festival.