Culture of Georgia (country)

The culture of Georgia has evolved over the country's long history, providing it with a unique national identity and a strong literary tradition based on the Georgian language and alphabet.

[8] This long history has provided a national narrative which encompasses the successful preservation of unique culture and identity in a consistent territory, despite powerful external pressures from different directions.

Since the independence of Georgia in 1991, a cultural resurgence has taken place, albeit somewhat hampered by the country's economic and political difficulties in the post-Soviet era.

Each historical province of Georgia has its own distinct culinary tradition, with variations such as Abkhazian, Megrelian, Kakhetian, Imeretian, Svanetian, Pshavian, Tushian, Kartlian, Gurian, Meskhian, Rachian and Adjarian cuisines.

Georgian cuisine is the result of the broad interplay of culinary ideas carried along the Silk Road Trade route by merchants and travelers alike.

[10] The importance of both food and drink to Georgian culture is best observed during a feast called supra, when a huge assortment of dishes are prepared, always accompanied by large amounts of local wine, known to be one of the world's oldest wines, produced in ancient authentic Georgian underground kvevri clay pots (dating 8 century BC).

Some famous Georgian cultural figures from the 20th–21st centuries are: Rugby union is a popular team sport played in Georgia.

Frescoes from the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral , an example of Georgian medieval art depicting ships and monsters at sea.
Georgian parade armour with golden plates
A page from a 12th-century Gelati Gospel, an example of Georgian illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages
Ceremonial crown of the Georgian high nobility, an example of metalwork from the early modern period
A miniature from the 1824 manuscript of Amiran-Darejaniani copied by David Tumanov (H-384, National Center of Manuscripts ).
Wall Painting in Georgia's ancient monastery, Shio-Mghvime
2nd century BC bronze torso from Western Georgia, displayed at the Georgian National Museum
Georgian cuisine collage
Nino Ananiashvili
Georgian folk dance performed by Sukhishvili ensemble
A Fisherman by Niko Pirosmani
Titsian Tabidze, a Georgian poet persecuted by the Soviet authorities