Khulo
Encyclopedia
Khulo is a townlet in Adjara
, an autonomous republic
in southwest Georgia
, 88 km east to the regional capital Batumi
, in the upper valley of Adjaris-tsqali. The town and adjoining 77 villages form the mountainous Khulo District
(Rayon
). Area – 710 km2; population – 33,430 (2002).
The town, formerly known as Khula, was a merchant place located on a medieval road that linked Samtskhe-Javakheti to the Black Sea
coast. During the Ottoman
times, Khulo was a chief settlement of Upper Adjara governed by the Khimshiashvili
clan. In 1829, it was briefly occupied by the Russian
force of General Osten-Sacken who sacked the Khimshiashvili residence before withdrawal. Khulo's population, largely Islamized
under the Ottomans, diminished dramatically under the Russian oppression of Islam
in the 1870s. A series of floods and avalanches in the 1990s-2000s induced another wave of migration from the mountainous villages of the rayon.
In the district are medieval historical monuments - Khikhani Fortress (10th century) and the Church of Skhalta (13th century).
Adjara
Adjara , officially the Autonomous Republic of Adjara , is an autonomous republic of Georgia.Adjara is located in the southwestern corner of Georgia, bordered by Turkey to the south and the eastern end of the Black Sea...
, an autonomous republic
Autonomous republic
An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Many of these republics were established during the Soviet...
in southwest Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, 88 km east to the regional capital Batumi
Batumi
Batumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
, in the upper valley of Adjaris-tsqali. The town and adjoining 77 villages form the mountainous Khulo District
Khulo District
Khulo is a district of Georgia, in the autonomous republic of Adjara. Its main town is Khulo.Population: 33,430 Area: 710 km²- External links :* * , Statoids.com...
(Rayon
Rayon
Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fiber. Because it is produced from naturally occurring polymers, it is neither a truly synthetic fiber nor a natural fiber; it is a semi-synthetic or artificial fiber. Rayon is known by the names viscose rayon and art silk in the textile industry...
). Area – 710 km2; population – 33,430 (2002).
The town, formerly known as Khula, was a merchant place located on a medieval road that linked Samtskhe-Javakheti to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast. During the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
times, Khulo was a chief settlement of Upper Adjara governed by the Khimshiashvili
Khimshiashvili
Khimshiashvili was a Georgian noble family,known from the eleventh century. They were enlisted among the tavadi princely houses of Kakheti in eastern Georgia, with their kniaz title recognized by the Russian...
clan. In 1829, it was briefly occupied by the Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
force of General Osten-Sacken who sacked the Khimshiashvili residence before withdrawal. Khulo's population, largely Islamized
Islamization
Islamization or Islamification has been used to describe the process of a society's conversion to the religion of Islam...
under the Ottomans, diminished dramatically under the Russian oppression of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the 1870s. A series of floods and avalanches in the 1990s-2000s induced another wave of migration from the mountainous villages of the rayon.
In the district are medieval historical monuments - Khikhani Fortress (10th century) and the Church of Skhalta (13th century).