Meskheti
Meskheti is a mountainous area and a province in the South-West of
Georgia. Ancient Georgian tribes of Meshech (later
Moskh) and Mosiniks were indigenous population of this region (
4th-
2nd millennia BC). Majority of the modern Georgian population (
Meskhs) of Meskheti are descendants of these ancient tribes.
Mosiniks were one of the inventors of iron metallurgy. In the
2nd millennium-
4th century BC Meskheti was a part of Georgian Kingdom of Diaokhi, in the
4th century BC-
6th century AD - part of the Kingdom of
Iberia. In the
10th-
15 centuries this region was a part of the united Georgian Kingdom. In the
16th century Meskhety was occupied and annexed by the
Ottoman Empire. In
1829-
1917 the region was a part of
Tbilisi Province (
Tiflisskaia Gubernia), in
1918-
1921 part of the
Democratic Republic of Georgia, in
1921-
1990 part of the
Georgian SSR. Since
1990 Meskheti (
Samtskhe-Javakheti) is a province of the republic of
Georgia.
See also