Samurzakano

Samurzakano and Abkhazia under the Russian Empire in 1899.

Samurzakano (Georgian: სამურზაყანო, Samurzak'ano, Samurzaqano) is a historical region in southeast part of Abkhazia,^[1] in western Georgia.

Samurzakano was established as a fief of one of the branches of the Sharvashidze family at the dawn of the 18th century. It included the territory of the contemporary Gali district and part of Ochamchira district.

The population is mostly Georgian (Mingrelians), with Abkhaz, Armenian, and Russian minorities.

Notes

1. Abkhazia's status is disputed. It considers itself to be an independent state, but this is recognised by only a few other countries. The Georgian government and most of the world's other states consider Abkhazia de jure a part of Georgia's territory. In Georgia's official subdivision it is an autonomous republic, whose government sits in exile in Tbilisi.

References

• Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia, v. 9, p. 37, Tb., 1985.
• კახა კვაშილავა, ისტორიული სამურზაყანო (XVII-XVIII სს. მიჯნა – 1840 წ.). საკვალიფიკაციო ნაშრომი ისტორიის დოქტორის /Ph.D/ აკადემიური ხარისხის მოსაპოვებლად, თბილისი, 2009
• Kakha N. Kvashilava. From the Historical Past of Samurzakano (The Turn of XVII-XVIII Centuries – 1840). Tbilisi, 2011 (in Georgian; Summaries in English and Russian)

Gallery

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  Barns in Saberio, 1884

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  Bazaar in Okumi

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  Okumi

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  Samurzakanians, 1913

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  School in Okumi

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  Samurzakano Militia standard, 1841