Ushguli

Ushguli is a community of mountain villages in Upper Svaneti in the Caucasus. Chazhashi, one of its villages, stands at the meeting of the Inguri and Black rivers. Its medieval buildings include stone tower houses, churches and castles, reflecting a settlement tradition adapted to the mountain landscape and the need for defence.

Two castles stand above and below Chazhashi. The lower castle contains a small hall church known as Lashkdash, while the nearby Matskhar church preserves medieval wall paintings. These buildings connect local family dwellings and fortifications with the Christian religious life of Svaneti.