Georgia is a country with many legends. One of them says that when God was distributing the land among the peoples, the Georgians were busy with a feast on the occasion of the creation of the world. Raising a toast, they nevertheless came. But it turned out that they were too late. Then the Georgians said: "Sorry, dear, we were late - we drank to your health." God thought and said: "I saved a piece of land for myself here, but for your immediacy and directness I give it to you! Remember that the land is very beautiful and incomparable to anything, and people will admire and admire it in all ages." It happened just as the Almighty said. For many centuries, everyone has bowed before the beauty of a small but proud country.
Agree interesting legend? And how many of these you will hear during your trip to Georgia! Do not count!
But the number of facts in our article is limited. And all of them, believe me, are no less interesting than ancient myths.
1. Sakartvelo - this is how the Georgians call their country. This word comes from the name of the people who lived on the territory of present-day Georgia - Kartvels. The word "Georgia" came into our language in the 17th-18th centuries from the Arabic "Gurjistan".
2. In ancient world Georgia and Spain were called the same - Iberia. And the language of the Basques (the people living in Spain) is very similar to Georgian.
3. Georgia adopted Christianity much earlier than Ukraine. Back in 319.
4. IN Georgian language there is no stress as such, only the tone rises on a certain syllable. Also in Georgian there is no capital letters, there is no male and feminine(it depends on the context).
5. In the Georgian language there are words of 8 consonants in a row -გვფრცქვნის (gvprtskvnis). But this is not even a "ceiling" - in the famous Georgian work "The Knight in tiger skin"The word with 11 consonants in a row is used - ვეფხვთმბრდღვნელი and sounds - vefhvtmbrdgvneli.
6. Before you say Georgian word, make sure it sounds right. After all, you can be in funny situation when one wrong sound radically changes the meaning of the word.
7. The Georgian language uses the vigesimal system for naming numbers. To pronounce a number between 20 and 100, you need to break it into twenty and name their number and remainder. For example: 33 is twenty-thirteen, and 78 is three-twenty-eighteen.
8. Even in the Georgian language, all well-known and native words sound like this: “mother” is dad, “grandfather” is mom, “bebia” is grandmother, “babua” or “dad” is grandfather.
9. The remains of the first representatives of the human race were found on the territory of Georgia. They were discovered in 1991 in Dmanisi and date back to approximately 1 million 770 thousand years ago. They were given the names Zezva and Mzia.
10. The Russian language in Georgia is mostly spoken by the older generation. Russian is not popular among young people and has very limited use. In the mountains, no one owns them at all. Now in the country English language claims to become the second official in Georgia, children learn it in schools from the first grade.
11. Georgia strives to become a tourist Mecca for the whole world. Therefore, all signs, information boards and signs are made in Georgian and English, even the turns to the smallest villages.
12. Time in Georgia is ahead of Kiev by 2 hours in winter, and by 1 hour in summer period.
13. If you have drunk a lot at a party and do not want to drive your car, then calmly call the police patrol, warning in advance that you do not want to create emergency situations on the road. In gratitude for this behavior, the police will deliver you and the car to your home. And it's all absolutely free.
14. In Georgian high-rise buildings, elevators with payment or a personal key are very often found. Paying elevators - to go up, you have to go down a certain amount of coins into the mechanism. The descent is free.
15. One of the many sights of Georgia is linen hanging from everywhere, which Georgians place not on the territory of the balcony, but outside it.
16. Do not be surprised if you see men kissing on the cheek in Georgia. After all, according to Georgian tradition, everyone kisses when they meet.
17. Not all houses in Georgia have central heating. In villages and small towns, people warm themselves with the help of stoves-bourgeois stoves.
18. Georgians do not take off their street shoes when visiting. If you do this, the Georgians may take such a gesture as disrespectful to the hosts. It's even worse if you ask for room slippers.
19. main man during a feast in Georgia - toastmaster. According to custom, this is either the host himself, or he chooses a toastmaster from among the guests (respected person). Please note that you can not interrupt the toastmaster, his word is the law!
20. Toasts in Georgia are sacred. No one has the right to drink a glass of wine if, in turn, a toast has not been made by all the people (senior) who participate in the feast.
21. If you see how Georgians eat meat with their hands, you should know that this is not from bad upbringing and bad manners. In this country, barbecue is eaten with the hands, as if savoring it. This also applies to the national dish khinkali. Eating them with appliances, you risk not only looking stupid, but also, having pierced khinkali with a fork, losing the very essence of this dish.
22. A mandatory attribute of a Georgian feast is a plate of greens on the table. Cilantro, basil, tarragon, green onion - that's what Georgians love to eat with meat.
23. Family for a Georgian is sacred! They are very protective of their parents and friends. And the word of the father is the law.
24. In some regions of Georgia, the tradition of stealing brides has been preserved. Only this is done at the mutual desire of the bride and groom.
25. The storage of weapons is allowed in Georgia.
26. In Georgia, it is impossible to refuse to come to a wedding, as this is a big offense for the inviting party, and it happens that it starts with it years of feud two families.
27. Georgians have a very interesting tradition All women would love her. All relatives of the groom must give the bride gold. And God forbid, someone will forget to do it.
28. Georgian funerals are a separate issue. This is a kind of duty of every real Georgian. In the villages, all the inhabitants come to say goodbye to the dead, bringing with them what they can: food, money, wine.
29. Georgia is called the birthplace of wine: it is here that the oldest remains of wine jugs and vines were found.
30. There is an excellent hitchhiking in Georgia: they will drive you where you need to, then they will also feed you and give you an overnight stay, if necessary.
Larisa Khachidze
journalist
No country has ever made such a positive impression on me as Georgia. I liked many places, but I don't want to go back to every one of them. And everything seemed to be wonderful and I had a good time, but the impressions received are enough not to return here in the near future. So I had with many countries, but not with Georgia ...
When I enthusiastically tell my friends about our trip, many just shrug their shoulders and answer that they would like to go to Georgia in the most last turn. I am not trying to convince anyone and prove my opinion, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and for each of us it is different. In this article I want to describe Georgia through my eyes, to tell about the facts that remained in my memories.
I have never seen more beautiful mountains than in Georgia. They are simply fantastic and breathtaking. It is here that you can understand the meaning of Vysotsky's song, who sang: "... Only mountains can be better than mountains," and this is true! Being among the majestic hills, you understand that all our daily worries in adversity have absolutely no meaning. There is only you, here and now!
Amazing, absolutely everything is delicious: meat, fish, flour, vegetables. Each time we ordered something new that we had not tried before, and each new dish is tastier than the previous one. Somewhere they cook deliciously, somewhere not so much, but the cuisine as a whole caused delight. I was even a little worried that I would bring home a souvenir in the form of a couple of extra pounds, but no, I remained at the same weight.
I was surprised by the fact that in Georgia most of the attractions are free. It's just the perfect country for the budget traveler. If some sights and require admission ticket, then the price for it is just a penny. And in general, very pleasant. In addition, this country has amazing hitchhiking. Of the 4 - 5 passing cars, 1 will definitely stop. As a rule, money from tourists is not taken. On our last trip, we hitchhiked across Georgia and did not spend a dime on travel.
Georgians are very patriotic people. Everyone I asked assured me that they loved their country very much. How can you not love her?! And they are very religious, honor and respect their religion. Georgia adopted Christianity before us, back in the 4th century. There are many Orthodox churches and monasteries, which I personally like much more than our business centers with golden domes. By the way, the tunic of Jesus Christ is kept in Georgian.
There is a common stereotype that Georgian hospitality is noisy feasts, overflowing wine and tearful toasts. As if all tourists are caught on the street to warm, feed and drink. In fact, everything is a little different ... Georgian hospitality is expressed in small things. Some will start a pleasant conversation and tell interesting stories, as if you are old friends, others will treat you to something, others will invite you / give you a lift or give helpful tips and recommendations.
Contrary to popular belief (not everyone, but many!), Georgia is civilized and developed country which actively fights corruption. Over the past 10 years, she has changed before our eyes: good roads, street safety, new technologies, modern architecture- this is what today's Georgia can boast of. Of the minuses: Georgians litter a lot. I'm not saying that our people keep cleanliness, but still here the dirt on the roads catches the eye much more.
A pedestrian on the roads in Georgia is the lowest link. So what, what's a traffic light?! So what, what is a zebra?! So what, a woman with a child?! I have never met such reckless drivers as in Georgia. We talked with one driver, so he secretly told that for several years he had paid fines in the amount of more than his car was worth. After living in Europe, this is wildness for me, I constantly had to cross the road and pray that they would not be run down. Now I'm not talking about all drivers, but about the vast majority.
Georgians also smoke a lot, and everywhere, and this is the biggest minus for me. I have already weaned from tobacco smoke, both in Russia and Ukraine several years ago, as they banned smoking in public places. In Georgia, people smoke freely everywhere, and in cafes too. I had to wash my clothes after every dinner, as things were saturated with tobacco smoke. I was especially shocked by the fact that Georgians smoke freely inside a beauty salon, a hairdresser, a store, a vegetable shop, etc. I even had to see people smoking inside a dentistry. A nightmare!
In places where there are no price tags, you need to bargain. For example, with a taxi driver, with a seller of wine, vegetables, churchkhela, and especially in the markets. At the sight of a tourist, the price increases slightly.
Georgians have a poorly expressed commercial streak. You rarely meet a local who would like to openly cash in on a tourist. As a rule, sky-high prices for tours, services, etc. are offered by who? That's right, our compatriots (well, or Armenians), who moved to live in Georgia and are trying to build a business, making money on their brother. It is difficult for me to explain this paradox, but it is the same everywhere. For example, in Vietnam and Thailand it's even worse, they charge exorbitant prices.
What are your impressions of Georgia?
One old legend tells how long ago God divided the lands among the peoples of the world. All nations have gathered except one. He had a feast at that time, which no one could leave even for such an important occasion.
And at the end of the holiday, this people came to God, but there were no more lands left. People got a little embarrassed and said to him, “Sorry for being late. But we had an important reason - we drank to your health!
God laughed, and for their resourcefulness and good nature, he gave the extraordinary land that he had in store for himself. This is how Georgia appeared - hospitable and incredibly beautiful country. wonderful story, Truth? By the way, this region is still famous for its feasts, toasts and legends.
But in our article will go It's not about local folklore. We have collected only the most verified and interesting facts about Georgia.
Fact 1. We went to Georgia, arrived in Sakartvelo
Did you know that Georgians call their country Sakartvelo, and locals no "Georgians", but "kartveli"? It so happened historically that the state has several names. Only in Russian the country is called Georgia. IN European countries- George or Georgia, for Muslims - Gurjistan. Because of this, various misunderstandings and confusion arose more than once.
Fact 2. Hello, we are your relatives!
In ancient chronicles, Georgia (Kartli region, Eastern Georgia) and Spain are approximately the same time. historical period called the same - Iberia. There is still no reliable explanation of how this happened and what is the connection between the two countries.
Spanish scientists insist on the version that this is a mere coincidence, and in every possible way deny consanguinity. But Georgian historians find a number of confirmations that the Spaniards are the descendants of the Georgians.
Fact 3. The strangest number system
Georgian numerals up to 20 are based on the decimal number system, and from 20 to 100 are based on the vigesimal. For people who count in the decimal system, all this is quite difficult, because you can easily get confused in suffixes, prefixes, and what is added to what. For example, the number 71 will be literally translated from Georgian as a spy code: three times twenty and eleven.
Fact 4. Oh, this grammar
Guests of Georgia will certainly be surprised by the peculiar writing of signboards, signs, price tags. And this is not at all an original find of designers, but the absence of capital letters. In addition, in the Georgian language, the gender is determined from the context, and the question "who?" only nouns denoting a person answer. All the rest are animate and inanimate nouns answer the question "what?".
Fact 5. Who is related to whom
The words denoting the closest relatives sound quite familiar to Russian-speaking tourists. The whole trick is that the meanings of these words are confused. Many will surely find it strange that children call a man “mother”. And for the locals there is nothing surprising. It's simple, remember: "mom" is dad, "grandfather" is mom, "dad" is grandfather, "baby" is grandmother.
Fact 6. The main thing is to have time to surrender
Georgia is the most hospitable country; not a single reception of guests can do without a feast, plentiful snacks and wine. If the guest has drunk a lot, and a car is waiting for him near the house, then you can turn to the police for help.
It is enough to politely explain the situation to them, and often law enforcement officers act as a sober driver. One of the policemen will sit behind the wheel of your car, and the second will go in a patrol car, accompanying you. And it's absolutely free.
Fact 7. Local etiquette
Shish kebab, khinkali, khachapuri… Just the names of these appetizing national dishes start to salivate. By Georgian traditions they are supposed to be eaten without the help of cutlery. Shish kebab is taken with hands, savoring it. And for khinkali, in general, there are special rules:
- do not use a knife and fork so as not to pierce the dough;
- you can not take them too hot, so as not to burn yourself;
- don't let them cool down all will be lost taste.
Fact 8. Let me kiss you
The guests of this country are very alarmed by the fact that when they meet here, everyone kisses on the cheek. Yes, and men too. This is not a manifestation of strangeness at all, but a special national tradition. Such a greeting in the Caucasus is considered an expression of respect and respect. They are not so harsh, these hot Georgian guys.
Fact 9. Hitchhiking in Georgia
This region is very convenient for hitchhiking. Most likely, hospitable Georgians will not take money from you, but as additional bonus will tell you legends and traditions. Some drivers may invite you to visit their home along the way. And if you agree, then you will certainly be fed, watered and offered accommodation for the night, as the dearest guest.
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Fact 10. Come in, do not take off your shoes!
Do not take off your shoes when visiting. Here it is considered bad form, a manifestation of disrespect and can greatly offend the owners. Slippers are also not worth asking: they say that it is even worse. Walk right in street shoes, it's customary here.
Fact 11. How not to fall under the table
An interesting fact about Georgia: during a feast, you cannot completely empty your glass and plate. Seeing an empty dish, you will immediately be served a new portion. This is an unspoken sign that the guest is asking for more. By local traditions the glass must always be filled. The hospitable host will pour you until you fall, so calculate your strength and take care of your health.
Fact 12
In one famous movie the hero says: “The rite is called “bride kidnapping”. No, don't think, the bride herself dreams of being stolen. Parents also agree. You can go straight to the registry office, but before that, according to custom, the bride must be stolen. She must be caught, put into a bag and given to the kunaks of the dzhigit in love. This is an old comedy, but in some regions of this country, this is exactly what is happening to this day. True, at present the kidnapping is taking place according to mutual agreement bride and groom and is more like a theatrical performance.
Fact 13. Children are the flowers of life
The main value in Georgia is the family. And children are the future, continuation, life. Grandparents usually take an active part in their upbringing. All conditions are created for children here, for them special treatment: babies are carried in their arms, pampered, praised and protected. Be on the alert, because it is customary to treat all the kids here with something sweet and tasty, without asking permission from their parents.
This country will not leave anyone indifferent. Having been here once, you will certainly want to come back here again. And to make your trip memorable for a long time, choose from our collection of children's and family entertainment excursions that you like. We wish you a pleasant stay and bright impressions!
Georgia is an amazing country. Not without reason in the famous Georgian song "Tbilisso" it is sung that such beauties cannot be found in other parts of the world. As soon as people get to this country of the sun, mountains and hospitable people, they fall in love with it once and for all.
Georgia is a country of legends and curious traditions. We will tell you about the most interesting traditions and facts about Georgia in this article.
1. Sakartvelo - this is how Georgians call their country. This word comes from the name of the people who lived on the territory of present-day Georgia - the Kartvels. The word "Georgia" came into our language in the 17th-18th centuries from the Arabic "Gurjistan".
2. In the ancient world, Georgia and Spain were called the same - Iberia. And the language of the Basques (the people living in Spain) is very similar to Georgian. Now English name Georgia - Georgia is often confused with the name of the US state of the same name.
3. Georgia adopted Christianity much earlier Kievan Rus. Back in 319. Today, 88.6% of the population of Georgia professes Christianity, most of them are adherents of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
4. There is no stress as such in the Georgian language, only the tone rises on a certain syllable. Also, there are no capital letters in Georgian, there is no masculine and feminine gender (it is determined by the context). Before you pronounce a Georgian word, make sure it sounds right. After all, you can find yourself in a funny situation when one wrong sound radically changes the meaning of a word. For example, many tourists pronounce the name of the city "Gori" in such a way that it turns out "pig".
5. The Georgian language uses the vigesimal system for naming numbers. To pronounce a number between 20 and 100, you need to break it into twenty and name their number and remainder. For example: 33 is twenty-thirteen, and 78 is three-twenty-eighteen.
6. Do not enter Georgian churches in shorts, with bare head and bare shoulders. If you come on a tour of the temple on the way from the beach or to the beach, be prepared for the fact that you will not be allowed into the shrine. Moreover, if you still come in, you can be kicked out with screams. In Georgia, this is very strict, and Georgians respect their traditions.
7. Georgians are open people. They love to sing loudly, have fun, talk loudly in the streets. But what is better not to talk loudly on the streets is “about thieves in law”. The fact is that since 2004 Georgia has declared war on thieves in law. Georgian law enforcers took into account the fact that according to the thieves' code, a thief in law could not deny his title. Therefore, the following rule was introduced in Georgia: if a person publicly admits that he is a thief in law, go to jail for 10 years.
8. The remains of the first representatives of the human race were found on the territory of Georgia. They were discovered in 1991 in Dmanisi and date back to approximately 1 million 770 thousand years ago. They were given the names Zezva and Mzia.
9. In Tbilisi, it is better to speak Russian or the worst English, but by no means in broken Georgian. However, it is worth knowing that the Russian language in Georgia is mainly spoken by the older generation. Russian is not popular among young people and has very limited use. In the mountains, no one owns them at all. Now in the country, English claims to become the second official language in Georgia, children learn it in schools from the first grade.
10. Time in Georgia is ahead of Kiev by 2 hours in winter, and by 1 hour in summer.
11. If you have drunk a lot at a party and do not want to drive your car, then calmly call the police patrol, warning in advance that you do not want to create emergency situations on the road. In gratitude for this behavior, the police will deliver you and the car to your home. And it's all absolutely free.
12. In Georgian high-rise buildings, elevators with payment or a personal key are very often found. Elevators with payment - in order to go up, you need to lower a certain number of coins into the mechanism. The descent is free.
13. One of the sights of Georgia is linen hanging from everywhere, which Georgians place not on the territory of the balcony, but outside it.
14. Not all houses in Georgia have central heating. In villages and small towns, people warm themselves with the help of stoves-bourgeois stoves.
15. Georgians do not take off their street shoes when visiting. If you do this, the Georgians may take such a gesture as disrespectful to the hosts. It's even worse if you ask for room slippers.
16. The main person during a feast in Georgia is a toastmaster. According to custom, this is either the host himself, or he chooses a toastmaster from among the guests (respected person). Please note that you can not interrupt the toastmaster, his word is the law!
17. Toast in Georgia is sacred. No one has the right to drink a glass of wine if, in turn, a toast has not been made by all the people (senior) who participate in the feast.
18. If you see how Georgians eat meat with their hands, you should know that this is not due to bad upbringing and bad manners. In this country, barbecue is eaten with the hands, as if savoring it. This also applies to the national dish khinkali. Eating them with appliances, you risk not only looking stupid, but also, having pierced khinkali with a fork, losing the very essence of this dish.
Khinkali is a popular Georgian dish.
19. A mandatory attribute of a Georgian feast is a plate of greens on the table. Cilantro, basil, tarragon, green onion - that's what Georgians love to eat with meat.
20. Family is sacred for a Georgian! They are very protective of their parents and friends. And the father's word is law.
21. In some regions of Georgia, the tradition of stealing brides has been preserved. Only this is done at the mutual desire of the bride and groom.
21. The storage of weapons is allowed in Georgia.
23. In Georgia, it is impossible to refuse to come to a wedding, as this is a great insult to the inviting party, and it happens that the long-term enmity of two families begins with it.
24. Georgians have a very interesting tradition - all women would like it. All relatives of the groom must give the bride gold. And God forbid, someone will forget to do it.
25. Georgia is called the birthplace of wine: it is here that the oldest remains of wine jugs and vines were found.
Based on materials from the site travel.tochka.net
“My delight cannot be described. This is a majestic, wild, hellish beauty, it is impossible to describe the road through the mountains, for this you need to write a whole book ... ". These lines belong to Ostrovsky, and are addressed to the most beautiful Georgia. I would have written a whole book, but we will not change traditions and limit ourselves to the main thing: 20 + 1 interesting facts about Georgia.
1.
Georgians call their country not Georgia at all. More often they say "Sakartvelo". This word comes from the name of the people who lived on the territory of present-day Georgia - Kartvels. No one knows exactly where the word "Georgia" came from. According to one version, the Persians, who at that time belonged to the Kingdom of Georgia, called the local population "gurj". St. George was also respected here, which could also have influenced the origin of the name.
2.
Spoken Georgian is unlike any other language in the world. It belongs to a separate, very ancient language group, and is not related to the languages of the neighbors.
3.
Georgians firmly believe and convince others that their country is the birthplace of wine. This noble drink began to be produced here 7 thousand years ago.
4.
Toast in Georgia is sacred. You can’t even take a sip of wine if, in turn, a toast has not been made before this by all the people, usually the elders, who participate in the feast.
5.
Georgian men love to kiss on the cheek. And in general, the level of body contact among Georgian men is much higher than among Europeans. However, Georgia is one of the most homophobic countries in the world.
6.
Why is everything like that? Because religion and morality play big role. Now in Georgia the church is on the rise.
7.
Georgia was one of the first in the world to become a Christian state. Faith in Christ took root here already in the 4th century. Proof of this are hundreds of ancient temples and monasteries scattered throughout the country.
8.
Jews have been living in Georgia for 2600 years. It is one of the few countries in the world where there has never been anti-Semitism.
9.
In 1976, the American space agency NASA sent the Georgian song "Chakrulo" into space as a sample musical ability humanity. Georgian folk songs and dances are protected by UNESCO.
10
. The Georgian village of Ushguli is the highest settlement in Europe, it is located at an altitude of 2300 kilometers.
11.
A full-fledged attraction of Georgia is linen hanging from everywhere, which Georgians place not on the territory of the balcony, but outside it.
12.
There are 2400 mineral springs hidden in the depths of Georgia. Tbilisi, too, literally stands on mineral water.
13.
The rock to which the unfortunate Prometheus, who suffered for us, was chained, is also located in Georgia.
14.
The word "mama" in the Georgian language means "dad", and mother is called only "grandfather".
15.
In Georgia, it is not customary to take off your street shoes when visiting. If you do this, the Georgians may take such a gesture as disrespectful to the hosts. And God forbid ask for room slippers)
16.
In some regions of Georgia, brides are still stolen. Only this is done at the mutual desire of the bride and groom.
17.
It is good to hitchhike in Georgia. They will take you where you need to, and they can even feed you!
18.
The German anthropologist Friedrich Blummenbach was sure that white people first appeared in the Caucasus, and Georgians were their most beautiful representatives.
19.
The Georgian language has a vigesimal counting system. In order to say a number between 20 and 100, it must be divided into twenties and name the number of twenties and the remainder. For example, 30 is "twenty-ten", 73 is "thirty-twenty-thirteen".
20.
Mayakovsky was born and raised in Georgia.
+1
Churchkhela is best bought in Kakheti - Georgians believe that it is the most delicious there.
Photos courtesy of Kirill Portyanko
