Omalo Tusheti

The idyllic paradise
Tusheti, one of the most beautiful high mountainous cultural landscapes of Georgia, is located in the eastern Caucasus. Its high mountain chain forms the natural border east to Dagestan and north to Chechnya. The area is mainly in 4th century from Khevsureti, fled from the forced Christianization under King Miriani III. Till today, there is a single Christian church in the village of Shenako in Tusheti. Till today pagan ideas and places, sacred meadow and groves still exist in there.  So-called "Khati", which is only a heap of stones, is a sanctuary for Tush people, on which similar rituals are carried out before Christian traditions.
The old courts of these mountain peoples also characterize their own characteristics. As early as the middle Ages, there was an independent council of twelve jury members in Tusheti.
A large part of the Tushetian highlands is so-called Tusheti Protected Area, which includes state reserve, national park and protected area (about 122 050 hectares). Characterized for Tushetian is diversity of flora and fauna. Many rare or endangered animal species live in the valleys and gorges. 230 representatives of the native plant world are Caucasian endemic and 11 kinds Georgian endemic. The Caucasus landscape is characterized by untouched nature, mountain forests, rocky landscapes, groves and meadows covered with rhododendron and mountain flowers, and the herd of sheep on the endless pastures. Here is also the home of the Caucasian Shepherd.
  Tushetian are shepherds and traditionally live by the products of their sheep breeding: Tuscan cheese and Tuscan wool were well-known in the Soviet Union far beyond the borders of Georgia.
Like all Caucasian regions, Tusheti is characterized by its unique architecture. The houses built of slate stones and impressive defenses represent the traditional structure. These stone fortresses date from the 12th to the 13th century. Most Tuscan villages are inhabited only in the summer.
Tusheti with its mountains is a paradise for hikers, adventure travelers and photographers.
Attractions of Tusheti: Omalo administrative center, Ethnographic Museum, the mountain village Shenako, Bergdorf Dartlo, Diklo- last village on the border of Daghestan, Parsma, Jvarboseli and Verchovani.

 

 

Omalo
Omalo is a main village in the historical region of Tusheti. It lies between the Great Caucasus Mountains and the Pirikita Valley of Tusheti, at an altitude of about 2 050 meters above sea level. Due to the accessible location, Omalo is largely isolated from the rest of Georgia for most of the year. The only access road is through the Abano Pass to 2850 meters. Worth seeing Keselo fortress complex is located in Omalo, where an ethnographic museum is located, wich shows the customs and daily life of the Tushetian.
The mountain village of Shenako
The mountain village of Shenako is about 6 km away from Omalo. A small path leads through the Tushetian highlands to the village. Shenako is only inhabited in summer. The village is the only one still operating with Orthodox Church in Tusheti. There is a cross-dome church built of slate stones, each with a separate entrance for men and one for women.
The mountain village of Dartlo
The mountain village of Dartlo, the most beautiful in Tusheti lies on a mountain peak, at the height of 2000 m. Architectural sights include Tushetian houses with wooden balconies, six-storey towers in the center of the village and the ruins of an orthodox church. In Dartlo there was a court, where the 12 jurymen spoke the verdict. Stone benches, on which they sat during their deliberations, remain to this day as revered sanctuaries. A small ethnographic museum shows the everyday life of the Tush people.
 
Diklo
 Last village on the border of Dagestan
Dikolo is the last Tushetian village on the Danube border north of Omalo (about 5 km). It lies at the foot of the mountain of the same name, on the summit of which the natural border of Chechnya, Dagestan and Tusheti meet. From Shenako a small path leads through the river valley to the village of Diklo. The ruins of the old Diklo fortress, on a rock overlooking a steep ravine are witnesses of eternal raids from neighboring peoples of the North Caucasus.
Parsma
The uninhabited mountain village of Parsma, where medieval times still dominate, is located in about 1 960 meters above sea level. The right-wing and multistoriey towers and a fortress as well as numerous cultured houses and ruined houses represent the picturesque image of an abandoned village in the Great Caucasus.