[citation needed] 17th century geographer and historian prince Vakhushti Bagrationi in his book "Description of Kingdom of Georgia" writes that the inhabitants of Pankisi are Georgian nobility with titles of Aznauri and Tavadi who have buildings near the mountains.

"[1] In the legislative acts of Georgian law of the 18th century, the noble (Aznauri) Kobiashvili family of the Kingdom of Kakheti are mentioned as the lords of the Pankisi valley.

[2][3] According to sources, in 1730s, the Pankisi valley was emptied of Georgian population: part of them were killed as a result of the invasions, and rest of them resettled elsewhere.

[5][4] It had allegedly often been used as a base for transit, training and shipments of arms and financing by Chechen rebels and Islamic militants, including foreign fighters, many of whom followed Ruslan Gelayev.

[8] The former senior Islamic State leader Tarkan Batirashvili, otherwise known as "Omar the Chechen", grew up in the area where some of his family still lives.