#adjara

If you have looked into Georgia or Adjara before, you may have seen a certain sentiment about Muslim Georgians and “Georgianness” that says if you don’t identify with or believe in the Georgian Orthodox Church you are not a true Georgian. This attitude seems to be quite common within Georgia (I have even seen it here on Tumblr before). While I don’t know how you identify exactly, I worry you might feel excluded from your Georgian half if you come across this view in your exploration of Georgia. Please don’t let any dumb ethnoreligious nationalist ideas put you down! Celebrate your Georgian side!

On that note, I myself am not Georgian. If any Georgians read this and have something to add or know a good resource for Anon, feel free to comment or DM me.

Adjara

(A map for those who are not familiar)

Regions of Georgia: Adjara — Georgian Holidays

Adjarian History

It was actually somewhat difficult for me to find English articles that were specifically on Adjara’s history, but I hope what I did gather is helpful to you!

History of Adjara — Wikipedia (good start for basics)

Adjarians — Wikipedia

Islam and Islamic Practices in Georgia (6-12) — G. Sanikidze and E. Walker (2004)

Defending the Border: Identity, Religion, and Modernity in the Republic of Georgia — M. Pelkmans (2011)

With Pelkmans, specifically the section “The Making and Transformation of the Frontier” (95). There may be more information elsewhere in the book (from what I’ve read it is a good book), but unfortunately it is just a preview so it will probably limit you eventually unless you can find a download somewhere.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being Muslim and Georgian: Religious Transformation and Questions of Identity among Adjara’s Muslim Georgians (29-33) — S. Zviadadze (2018)

Zviadadze gives a quick run down on the Ottoman Empire’s influence and Adjara’s post-Ottoman history here, but the paper as a whole has a good discussion on the Muslim Georgian identity.

South-Western Georgia (Ajara) in Late Middle Ages (According to Written Sources and Archaeological Materials) — K. Kamadadze (2016)

1926 - Acara Özerk Bölgesi Ve Batum — YouTube (old footage)

Adjarian Culture

About Adjara — Georgian Travel Guide

Islam and Islamic Practices in Georgia (12-16) — G. Sanikidze and E. Walker (2004)

Learn the Georgian Alphabet — Georgian Alphabet

Examples of Adjarian costumes — Tumblr

For a fun regional comparison, here is a picture showing folk costumes across Georgia:

Mtiuls, Mokhevians, Khevsurians, Pshavians 

Rachians, Svans, Kartlians, Mingrelians 

Gurians, Imeretians, Kakhetians, Adjarians

West Georgian costumes: Gurian, Mingrelian, Imeretian, and Adjarian, by Nino Brailashvili

Music and Dance:

Adjarian song: ancient, native and soulful — Visit Ajara (information on Adjarian song)

Adjara Gandagana — YouTube (song)

Khertlis simghera — YouTube (song)

Adjarian Folk Music — YouTube

Acharuli — Simply Knowledge (information on the Acharuli dance)

Acharuli Gandagana dance — YouTube

Khorumi — Dance Ask (information on the Khorumi dance)

Khorumi dance — YouTube

Village dancing and singing — YouTube

Ajarian Song and Dance State Academic Ensemble “Arsiani” — Ajara Folk (website)

Adjara State Academic Ensemble #1 — YouTube

Adjara State Academic Ensemble #2 — YouTube

Architecture:

I looked for sources that pertained to Muslim Georgians here.

Islamic Architectural Heritage in Adjara — IDAAF

Caring for Georgia’s old wooden mosques — Mashallah News

Food:

Top 9 must try Adjarian dishes — Georgian Journal

Top 10 “Must Try” Foods in Adjara — GoBatumi

If you want to cook something Adjarian, I found some recipes you might be able to try:

How to prepare eggplant the Adjarian way — Georgian Journal

Borano – Cheese omlette from Adjara — Georgian Journal

Chirbuli - Adjarian style eggs — Georgian Journal

Sinori — Borjomi

Adjarian halva — Georgian Journal

Ajarian style lobiani — Georgian Recipes

Iakhni, an Adjarian beef stew — Georgian Journal

Time to make Adjaruli khachapuri —  Georgian Journal

How to make Adjarian Khachapuri at home — Georgian Journal

Ajarian Khachapuri — Georgian Recipes

I have heard a few times that Adjaruli khachapuri is one of the best regional versions of khachapuri in Georgia, but obviously to each their own!