ROADS IN THE KSANI VALLEY

Abstract

Ksani valley, due to its geographical location, has played an important role in the political, economic and cultural life of Georgia since time immemorial.  It is located in the western part of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region and is administratively within the framework of three municipalities.  It belongs to Akhalgori municipality from Khloi Tbi to Odzei, Odzei is a village of Dusheti municipality, and from Tsovris to Tsikhisdzire is Mtskheti municipality.

 There were two important political units in the Ksani valley: Saeristavo and Samukhranbatono of Ksani, which were connected to each other, as well as to different regions of Georgia and the North Caucasus by a number of important roads.

 The paper talks about the roads connecting the Ksani valley both internally and with the outside world.  At the beginning, attention is paid to the important factors of the promotion of Largvis, the former center of Saeristavo, among which the roads and paths existing here were given a leading role.  Roads coming from the valleys of Churti, Karchokh-Zhamuri and Niazum converged in Largvis.  In addition, it included the valleys of Saeristavo Iviri, Little Liakhvi and Kholot-Kvitkiri of Niazm (later Ksni).  In the work, a proper place is given to the roads connecting these valleys with Kartli Bar or Transcaucasia.

 From the middle of the 14th century, when the possession of the Eristavas of Ksni increased sharply in the direction of the Kartli Vaki and the residence of the Eristavas gradually moved from the north to the south, which should have happened at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries, the new center of Saeristavo, Akhalgori, acquired the function of connecting the mountain and the bar.  By the second half of the 17th century, one of the powerful principalities in Georgia already covered a large area: the valleys of Ksni, Alevi, Safersheti, Churti, Niazm, Karchokhi, Zhamuri, Maghran-Dvaleti sankhas, a significant part of the Lekhuri valley, Kholot-Kvitkiri, Isuri, Mejudi, Tsromi.  , small Liakhvi valleys and the foothills.  The road network is also growing and becoming more important.  In the paper, the main roads of the inter-rural and Ksani Saeristavo regions are highlighted, among which the roads connecting Akhalgori - Tbilisi, Akhalgori - Ananuri, Akhalgori - Dariali Gorge, Mejvriskhevi - Dariali Gorge, Mejvriskhevi - Tbilisi, Mejvriskhevi - Gori and Mejvriskhevi - Tskhinvali are highlighted.

 The role assigned to these roads in the political and economic life of the capital and the country is highlighted.  We are also talking about the measures that the Royal Court implemented in connection with the maintenance of roads in accordance with the appropriate legislation.

 Many Georgian and foreign travelers do not use the roads in the Ksani valley, their story has a proper place in the work.

 At the end of the paper, the sad reality that followed the August 2008 war is reviewed;  Today, the roads connecting the Ksni valley and especially the mountainous region with the outside world are on the brink of collapse due to lack of maintenance.

Key words: Ksni Gorge, road-trails, Satavado, traveler, castle-towers, Largvis, Akhalgori.