Kharistvala
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Kharistvala
ხარისთვალა | |
|---|---|
Townlet | |
 Kharistvali left on the shore of Shaori Reservoir | |
  Kharistvala Location of Kharistvala in Georgia  Kharistvala Kharistvala (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti) | |
| Coordinates: 42°24′44″N 43°2′41″E / 42.41222°N 43.04472°E | |
| Country |  Georgia |
| Mkhare | Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti |
| Municipality | Ambrolauri |
| Elevation | 1,150 m (3,770 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (Georgian Time) |
Kharistvala (Georgian: ხარისთვალა) is a so called daba (urban-type settlement) in Georgia’s northern Ambrolauri Municipality (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region), at an elevation of 1,150 metres (3,770 ft) above sea level on the western shore of Shaori Reservoir. It is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the municipal center Ambrolauri, and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the 1,217 metres (3,993 ft) high Nakerala Pass. Remarkably, the settlement has no permanent population (2021[1]), while still registered as a daba. Kharistvala is administratively part of the Nikortsminda community (თემი, temi) which also consists of villages Kachaeti and Nikortsminda, known for the Nikortsminda Cathedral.[2] It acquired the daba status in 1956.
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The settlement is located in a karst plateau that is part of the Racha Range. It contains the Shaori Reservoir at an altitude of about 1,150 metres (3,770 ft), which is the largest lake in Racha.[3] The reservoir was created by the placement of an earthen dam in the northwestern corner of the local depression in the plateau and is mainly fed by groundwater. The depression originally contained a few smaller lakes: Kharistvala and Dzrokhistvala.[4] The Shaori reservoir has an area of over 9 km² with a maximum depth of 14 meters and is the upper part of the Shaori-Tkibuli hydroelectric power chain.
South from the reservoir is the Nakerala Range, a limestone range that is part of the Racha Range with sharp cliffs. The southern face of the Nakerala Range has a cliff height of 300 to 600 metres (980 to 1,970 ft). At Kharistvala, the national route Sh17 (Ambrolauri - Tkibuli - Kutaisi) passes through the 1,217 metres (3,993 ft) high Nakerala Pass.[5]
