Jvari (town)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jvari
ჯვარი | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Jvari Location of Jvari in Georgia  Jvari Jvari (Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti) | |
| Coordinates: 42°43′03″N 42°03′03″E / 42.71750°N 42.05083°E | |
| Country |  Georgia |
| Region | Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti |
| District | Tsalenjikha |
| Elevation | 280 m (920 ft) |
| Population (2024)[1] | |
• Total | 1,206 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (Georgian Time) |
Jvari (Georgian: ჯვარი) is a town in the northwestern Georgian province of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. The town is situated at an altitude of 280 metres near the Magana River where it flows into the Enguri River; The town is divided in two with "Jvari" lying on the Zugdidi-Mestia highway, and Jvarzeni (Upper Jvari) up the hill.
In Georgian the word "Jvari" means "cross". There are three legends about where this name came from.
- The first legend is connected to St Andrew who was Jesus Christ's pupil. After Christ's crucifixion his pupils began spreading Christianity all around the world. St Andrew had to convert to Christianity in Georgia, so one day he came to Jvari from Abkhazia. He preached Christianity and after that he christened the people in Enguri River. He drove a cross into the ground and people named this territory 'Jvari'.
- The second legend says that the Queen of Georgia, Tamara, was in Jvari in the 12th century. As she was walking she saw two rivers, the Enguri and the Magana, crossing each other and forming the shape of a cross. Queen Tamara exclaimed "Look! Jvari, Jvari!" That is why the territory was named Jvari.
- According to the third legend, when Queen Tamara visited the village she lost her golden cross. She was looking for the cross with her retinue. After she found it she cried "Jvari, Jvari!" and named this territory Jvari.
