CENTRE – ZUGDIDI
AREA – 7400 SQ.KM.
POPULATION – 466000

Samegrelo is a part of Western Georgia. Samegrelo is located on the valleys of the river Rioni, Enguri, Tskhenistskali and the Black Sea coast. Winter is warm and summer is hot here. Samegrelo is a country of legends and myths. It is an ancient Egrisi kingdom. The Mingrelians are the founders of the Phasis Academy and the builders of the Tsikhe Goji - Archeopolis - the oldest capital of Egrisi kingdom. The Mingrelians speak the Mingrelian language. The Mingrelian language is akin to the Georgian language and represents a branch of Kartvelian languages of Iberian-Caucasian family.

NOKALAKEVI ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE
350 km from Tbilisi
13th c BC
Nokalakevi was a political center of Colchis (Egrisi) in Antique and early Christian times, the capital of the Kingdom of Lazika (IV-VIII cc.). It is located 17 km from the town of Senaki to the North-East. The Greek sources of later times call this township Archeopolis (in Georgian "Nokalakevi" or "Old Town". Both local and imported ceramics, bronze items, necklace, copper and gold coins have been excavated on the territory of the fortress.

DADIANI PALACE PALACE MUSEUM
318 km from Tbilisi
Dadiani Palace is in downtown Zugdidi. This historical palace and now museum was the residence of Dadiani family – potentates of Samegrelo. The residence of the sovereign was first built by the ruler of Odishi, Levan II Dadiani (1611-1657). Today the historical monument of Dadiani palace consists of palace units constructed under the auspices of the sovereign of Samegrelo, David Dadiani (1813-1853), his spouse, Ekaterine Chavchavadze-Dadiani (1816-1882), and their son Niko Dadiani, as well as court church and botanical garden. There are more than 40 000 exhibits in the museum today. Among them especially should be mentioned the Shroud of the Virgin Mary, a mask of Napoleon Bonaparte, Shamil's sword, and others.

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