INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT GEORGIA
Georgia is such an amazing country that it is unlike any other state. And some interesting facts about Georgia as a whole can strike the imagination of even those people who seem to know everything about this country. We have collected the most interesting facts that will help you learn more about Georgia
The name of the country
Georgians call their country Sakartvelo (country of Kartvels). The name comes from the central historical and geographical region of Kartli (Iberia in Byzantine sources), where the statehood of Georgia was born. In the world, the country is known under the English Georgia (Georgia or Georgia), and Russian speakers use the word “Gruzia”. These variants originated from the Persian name of the country Gurjistan (land of wolves).
Language features
Georgian is the official language of Georgia. Different regions of the country speak different dialects. The Georgian alphabet consists of 33 letters, among which there are no capital letters, and in the Georgian language there is no gender category. With the help of stress on a certain syllable, you can change the meaning of the word. The Georgian language is included in the list of 14 unique languages of the world. Georgian speech is similar to Spanish. Western Iberia, now Spain, is inhabited by the Basques, whose roots are connected with Georgia.
The Importance of Family Values
Family values are one of the sacred things for any Georgian. Helping loved ones is a norm and a great honor for any Georgian. Elders are honored here and they do not allow themselves to speak badly about relatives. It is definitely worth talking separately about how Georgians say goodbye to the dead. Not only relatives and friends come to the funeral, but also neighbors. If a villager is buried, the whole village comes to say goodbye to him. It is customary to remember the dead people often, including at the table.
Hi means “Be a winner!”
If you say “Hello” in Georgian, it sounds like “Gamarjoba” (politely: “Gamarjobat”), which literally means “Be a winner!”. This word is a smooth transformation from the more ancient in origin “Gamarjveba”, which is interpreted as “Victory”. Georgian troops often fought with their neighbors, the country repeatedly suffered from invaders. And always, before the battle, they wished each other victory. And so the concept of “Victory” was attached to the word “Gamarjveba”.
The guest is the messenger of God
Georgians are one of the most hospitable peoples. Each guest is very honored, loved and respected here. It is believed that the guest is the messenger of God, who must be appropriately received, sheltered and fed. If you come to visit a Georgian, you can be sure that you will be fed, watered and provided with an overnight stay. This is the attitude towards guests in most Georgian establishments. They really have a sacred rule that says: “the guest is always right.”
Living security
Georgia is one of the safest countries in the world for locals and tourists. Here you can walk around the city at any time of the day. The locals are hospitable and will always be happy to help you as much as possible. Back in 2017, Georgia was in 7th place in the list of the safest countries. A UN worldwide survey has confirmed that the Georgian police are among the least corrupt in the world and, accordingly, have a high level of trust.
“Chakrulo” in extraterrestrial orbit
Georgian polyphonic singing is an invaluable tradition, included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List and recognized as a masterpiece of world polyphony. Singing is an essential component of the legendary Georgian hospitality and is an important part of the Georgian feast. In 1976, the American space agency NASA sent the Georgian song “Chakrulo” into space with the Voyager spacecraft as an example of the musical abilities of mankind
Table Georgian etiquette
A mandatory attribute of Georgian hospitality is a traditional feast. The peculiarity of the feast is the order at the table, the observance of etiquette. This is the responsibility of the toastmaster, who is chosen at the very beginning of the holiday. Tamada means the leader of the celebration. The toasts are pronounced in a certain order. The first is a toast. Next come the main, traditional toasts to the world and family, homeland, parents, children, deceased, relatives and friends.
500 varieties of grapes grow in Georgia
This represents almost one-fourth of the world’s grape varieties, including endangered vines found nowhere else on earth. Georgia claims to be the birthplace of wine. It began to be produced here 7-8 thousand years ago. Today the country boasts 500 varieties of cultivated grapes. The thousand-year-old traditional technology of aging wine in a large clay vessel – Qvevri, is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
5 ancient artifacts that changed the world
1.The remains of an ancient man – 1.8 million years. On the territory of Georgia, female and male bones were found, whose age was about 1.8 million years.
2. The world’s first thread – 34 thousand years. In the era of the Upper Paleolithic, on the territory of today’s Western Georgia, a man invented a thread.
3. The first wine – 8 thousand years. An earthenware jar of the 6th millennium BC was found in Georgia. with remnants of grapes.
4. The oldest gold mines in the world – 6 thousand years In Georgia, tunnels were opened in which ancient miners mined gold. Scientists determined the age of the workings – IV millennium BC.
5. Metallurgy and blacksmithing – 5 thousand years. A large number of objects found for various purposes, allows us to judge the high level of development of metallurgical production in the eastern part of Georgia in the first half of the 3rd millennium BC.