Friday, 26 April 2013

Enigmatic Caucasia





     


  *     No mountain ranges, except the Himalayas, in the world
         evoke so much of awe and admiration as the Caucasus.

  *     A series of stunning discoveries in Georgia have
         challenged the conventional view that Africa is the sole
         cradle of humankind. Skulls at an archaeological site
         near the Dmanisi in Georgia dating back to about 1.8
         million years ago are the oldest remains of humans
         found outside Africa.

  *     Its giant mountains, magnificent valleys, rich and varied
         vegetation, extraordinary collection of different races,
         speaking countless languages and representing almost
         every branch of the human family; its strange history and
         beautiful monuments make it a wonderland of romance.

 *     No other region of its size in the world has so many 
        different races and languages. The region is home to the
        Russians, Armenians, Kurds, Persians, Tates, Georgians,
        Chechans Lezghins, Abkhazians,Turks and Tartars.

 *     At one time there were seventy different races in the
        Caucasus, and about three hundred languages were
        spoken in the markets of Colchis.

 *    Major writers like Pushkin, Tolstoy, Lermontov and
       Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, on military duty/in exile, spent
       considerable time here. Beauty and people of the region 
       inspired them to write some of the greatest novels.

*    And aspiring writers needn't lose heart because not
      all has been written about the Caucasus. Have a look
      at the picture of the young widow below.........

*     The woman on the right in the picture, Natalia Gurieli,
       the wife of Prince David Gurieli, was considered to be
       one of the most beautiful women of her time. Widowed
       at 25, she spent the rest of her years wearing mourning 
       clothes. And her widowhood lasted more than 50 
       years.

*    Isn't it a fascinating tale? Not much has been written
      about her. I'm sure her life would make an interesting
      novel. 

*    Are you ready for the challenge? Then pack your
      bags and head to Tbilisi, Georgia.........

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