Mestia

Mestia is a small town in the Svaneti region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti province of Georgia. Historically and ethnographically, Mestia has always been regarded a chief community of Upper Svaneti. It is mostly populated by Svans which is cultural subgroup of Georgians with its own language. Mestia was always an important center of culture for centuries. Many medieval monuments of the area are included into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Group.  Though Mestia is a small town with population of about 15 000 it has airport.
Local architecture is dominated  by stone defensive towers called as Svan Towers or “Koshki”. A typical Svan fortified dwelling consisted of a tower, an adjacent house (machub) and some other household structures encircled by a defensive wall.
Historical-Ethnographic Museum of Mestia has unique old icons and manuscripts.