Khevsurians
Encyclopedia
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
, mainly living in Khevsureti
Khevsureti
Khevsureti/Khevsuria is a historical-ethnographic region in eastern Georgia. They are the branch of Kartvelian people located along both the northern and southern slopes of the Great Caucasus...
, on both sides of the Caucasus Mountain Chain
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
in the watersheds of the rivers Aragvi
Aragvi River
The Aragvi River and its basin is located in Georgia on the southern slope of the Caucasus Mountains. The river is 112 km in length. The basin covers an area 2,724 km² The ground strata is mostly sandstone, slate, and limestone. The hydro-electricity dam built on the river produces much of...
and Argun
Argun River (Caucasus)
The Argun River flows through the northern Caucasus, Georgia, and the Chechen Republic of Russia. It is an affluent of the Sunzha and lies within the river basin of the Terek...
. There are some villages in Khevi
Khevi
Khevi is a small historical-geographic area in northeastern Georgia. It is included in the modern-day Kazbegi district, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region...
, Ertso-Tianeti
Ertso-Tianeti
Ertso-Tianeti is a small historical-geographic area in eastern Georgia. It lies along the upper Iori Valley in what is now Tianeti District in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti. The area's name is compound, consisting of its two subdivisions: Ertso and Tianeti .Ertso-Tianeti is located on the...
, Kakheti
Kakheti
Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...
(Shiraki), Kvemo Kartli
Kvemo Kartli
Kvemo Kartli is a historic province and current administrative region in southeastern Georgia. The city of Rustavi is a regional capital. The population is mixed between Azeris and Georgians .The current governor is Davit Kirkitadze.- External links :* *...
(Gardabani) also where Khevsurians reside. Khevsurians speak the Georgian language
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
in Khevsurian dialect. For a long time Khevsurians have been keeping traditional culture: wearing, weapons, livings and canons.
Khevsurians first are mentioned in the tenth century manuscripts. In 1745 they were described by Vakhushti Bagrationi
Vakhushti
Vakhushti was a Georgian prince , geographer, historian and cartographer.- Life :A son of King Vakhtang VI of Kartli , he was born in Tbilisi, 1696...
in his work “Description of the Kingdom of Georgia
Description of the Kingdom of Georgia
Description of Kingdom of Georgia – is written by Vakhushti Bagrationi. Full name of the work is “Description of Kingdom of Georgia, its habits and canons” . The work was completed on 20th October 1745 in Moscow. The work thoroughly describes geography of Georgia, its regions, values and narrates...
”.
Anthropologically Khevsurians have slim, east Georgian type of face, due to harsh living conditions in mountain area many of them are thin. Khevsurians generally have light colored eayes and hair colore is ranging from blonde to brown.