Akhalkalaki
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Akhalkalaki ახალქალაქი |
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 Akhalkalaki
Akhalkalaki
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| Coordinates: 41°24′20″N 43°29′10″E / 41.40556°N 43.48611°E | |
| Country |
 Georgia (country)
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| Mkhare | Samtskhe-Javakheti |
| Elevation | 1,707 m (5,600 ft) |
| Population (2014) | |
| • Total | 8,295 |
| Time zone | Georgian Time (UTC+4) |
| Website | Official |
Akhalkalaki (Georgian: ახალქალაქი [ɑxɑlkʰɑlɑkʰi], for New City; Armenian: ; Turkish: Ahılkelek) is a town in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Akhalkalaki lies on the edge of the Javakheti Volcanic Plateau. The city is located about 30 km from the border with Turkey. In 2002 over 90 percent of the city's population were ethnic Armenians. The city was passed from Ottomans to Russians after Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829). On January 4, 1900, an earthquake destroyed much of the town and killed 1,000 people in the area. As of the 2014 census the town had a population of 8,295.
Akhalkalaki was founded in 1064. In 1066 the city was destroyed during the Seljuq invasions of the Kingdom of Georgia. Akhalkalaki had alternated between Georgian and Armenian rule until it passed to the Georgian Bagratids in the 11th century. In 11th century Akhalkalaki became political and economical centre of Javakheti. In the 16th century the city came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and became a sanjak centre in Çıldır Eyaleti. Under the Ottoman rule, the town was known as "Ahılkelek". The population was mainly Georgian but had been converted to Islam by 1829. The city was passed from the Ottomans to the Russians after the Russo-Turkish War in 1828–1829. After this event most of the native Muslims left the area for the Ottoman Empire and in their place Christian Armenian refugees from Erzurum and Bayazid settled here. In 1887 there were 4303 inhabitants in Akhalkalaki, including Russians - 61, Armenians — 4080, Jews — 63 and Georgians — 45. According to Georgian encyclopedia, after the establishment of a Russian regime, Georgian Muslims were deported to Turkey and Armenians were settled down from the Vilayet of Erzurum.
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Wikipedia