'Şavşat' (
Georgian: შავშეთი (
Latin transliteration: 'Shavsheti')) is a town and district of
Artvin Province in the
Black Sea region, between the cities of
Artvin and
Kars on the border with
Georgia at the far eastern end of
Turkey.
Geography
Like most districts of Artvin this is a beautiful hilly area surrounded by high mountains on all sides, including the 3,537 m Karçkal mountains to the west, and watered by many mountain streams and pools. There are trout in the largest, Şavşat Karagöl lake and a number of mineral water springs. The area has a cold inland climate, somewhat tempered by being above the
Black Sea coast, but at these altitudes winter lasts a long time; it snows from November to April. The mountains are covered with pine forest, with some broadleaf forest at lower elevations.
In this landscape there is little agricultural land, no industry and the only real potential income is from tourism (people on trekking holidays), herding animals on the mountainside and beekeeping. There are some fruit trees (mainly pears and apples) and some potatoes are grown in the
Çoruh River valley floor. Of the land area 13% can be planted while 27% is used for grazing, 42% is forest and 17% is high mountain.
The town of Şavşat is small (population 7,325) and has few amenities.
History
This area was occupied by the
Cimmerians and the
Urartu from 900 to 650 BC and later by the
Ancient Romans and
Sassanids.
It was then one of the
Georgian princedoms in the constellation of several polities in historical southwestern Georgia and part of northwestern
Armenia, which is conventionally known as
Tao-Klarjeti. The princedom of Shavsheti included today's districts of Şavşat,
Borçka, and
Murgul in Turkey and
Lower Machakheli in
Adjara (Georgia}.
This lasted until it was conquered by the
Ottomans in
1547.
Following the
Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) Şavşat was among the territories left to
Russia, and was returned to the new Republic of Turkey in 1921. Many of the people of Şavşat today are ethnically
Georgians, especially in the border district of
Imerkhevi.
Places of interest
★
Papart forest
★
Genciyan Hill, overlooks the border and the
Binboğa lakes.
★ Şavşat Karagöl lake, a large trout lake in the forest, and the crater lake of
Kuyruklu.
External link
★
Governor's Office
★
the Municipality
★
local information
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