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Showing posts with label Caucasus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caucasus. Show all posts
Shatili, Chewsureti / Schatili, Chewsuretien
From the english Wikipedia: "Located in the deep Arghuni gorge at approximate 1,400 meters, the village is actually a unique complex of medieval-to-early modern fortresses and fortified dwellings of stone and mortarwhich functioned both as a residential area and a fortress guarding the northeastern outskirts of the country. The fortress consists of the terraced structures dominated by flat-roofed dwellings and some 60 towers which cluster together to create a single chain of fortifications. Shatili was once part of the Kingdom of Kakheti.
The population of Shatili, along with that of most of the Khevsureti, was resettled under the pressure from the Soviet authorities to the plains in the early 1950s. In the 1960s, the exotic landscape of the empty village was used as a setting for a series of Georgian films about the past life of the highlanders.[2]
Shatili is still inhabited by a dozen or so families, but is inaccessible by road during wintertime. The village is a favourite destination for tourists and mountain trekkers.
Die Fahrt von Tbilissi nimmt etwa 3,5 Stunden in Anspruch. Ein vierradangetriebener Wagen ist anzuraten. Fahren Sie nach Norden auf der Georgischen Heerstraße. Kurz hinter Zhinvali, im Dorf Kvemo Aranisi (vor dem Ananuri Stausee) geht es scharf rechts nach Chinti. Danach geht es immer geradeaus nach Schatili.
The trip from Tbilisi takes 3,5 hours. A 4x4 is advisable. Drive north onto the Georgian Military road. Shortly behind Zhinvali, in the village of Kvemo Aranisi (before the Ananuri barrier lake!) take a sharp turn to the right to village Chinti, then just follow the road to Shatili.
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| Auf dem Weg nach Schatili / On the way to Shatili |
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Winter landscapes of the Great Caucasus (near Mleta)
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Paragliding Gudauri, Georgia / Gleitschirmfliegen in Gudauri, Georgien
All pictures: © Sönke Henning Tappe
All pictures: © Sönke Henning Tappe
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Schafherden im Kaukasus / Flocks of sheep in the Caucasus
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Park Bulvar Mall, Baku
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| Park Bulvar Mall, Baku |
Park Bulvar Mall, opened in 2010, hosts cinema, planetarium, various restaurants, about a hundred shops, bowling, kids playground and a currency exchange office on six floors and 17.000 square meters.
Das Park Bulvar Shopping Center, eröffnet 2010, beherbergt Kino, Planetarium, verschiedene Restaurants und Cafés, etwa hundert Läden, Kegelbahn, Kinder-Spielplatz und eine Wechselstube auf sechs Etagen und 17.000 qm.
You can find the mall at the promenade. The address is:
Das Shopping Center befindet sich an der Promenade. Die Adresse ist:
ТРЦ "Парк Бульвар"
Neftçilər Prospekti
Baku AZ1001, Azerbaijan
(8)12 598 80 80
On the homepage of Park Bulvar Mall you can find a directory of shops as well as a galery with pictures of the building.
Auf der Internetseite der Park Bulvar Mall gibt es ein Verzeichnis der verschiedenen Läden sowie eine Galerie mit Bildern des Gebäudes.
You can find more pictures of Park Bulvar Mall as well as many other pictures of modern Baku architecture at:
Hier gibt es mehr Bilder des Park Bulvar Shopping Centers sowie viele weitere Bilder moderner Architektur in Baku:
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| Park Bulvar Mall, Baku |
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Facebook analog / analogue facebook (with Sony Alpha a850, 100-300 Minolta APO)
... fiel mir dazu ein. Sagen wir Chat minus (note-)book.
Swanetien, Georgien, 7/2010
Sony a850, 100-300 Minolta APO @250mm, f9, 1/160sec, ISO400
(This lens is neither the sharpest nor the fastest, but incredibly light-weight and small.)
Swanetien, Georgien, 7/2010
... came to my mind, seeing these women chatting face to face. Analogue Facebook minus (note)book so to speak of. Swanetia, Georgia, 7/2010
Sony a850, 100-300 Minolta APO @250mm, f9, 1/160sec, ISO400
(This lens is neither the sharpest nor the fastest, but incredibly light-weight and small.)
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Truso-valley / Truso-Tal
Tensions between Georgia, Russia and self-declared South-Ossetia are running high. Now Kokoity claims the Trusso-valley for South Ossetia. Perhaps the incident Moscow is looking for - another provocation, while russian military continues to build up (not only) in the Akhalgori-region and vows to protect russian citizens.
The truso-valley opens up to the main road connecting Kasbegi with Tbilisi and runs north-east of South-Ossetia. It is therefore of strategic interest. If Kokoity`s militiamen enter the Trusso-valley, Russia might speak of a legitimate cause. (The same, by the way, that made them keep Akhalgori, breaking the six-points-ceasefire-plan). Then, if Saakashvili reacts with force, he fulfills Putin´s desire. If he doesn´t, he becomes a lame duck.
After a few kilometers, which you can still make with a normal car, you reach Okrakana. To go further, you need a good jeep.
Okrakana comprises just half a dozen houses. The valley becomes very narrow (follow the path to the left).
River Terek running through the gorge - the "middle section" of the valley
A wishing-tree. Georgians and Ossetians both pray to St. George.
a horse-rider of unknown origin passing by
After the gorge, the valley opens up again. Note the sedimentary rocks to the left.
Looking back in the direction of the gorge. Detail of sedimentary rocks. There are numerous springs with different waters; apparently, there is also a poisonous one on the other side of the Terek.
The high mountains to the left (SSW) mark, since 2008, the de-facto border to South-Ossetia.
Village of Kertisi. There are very few settlements in Trusso-valley. Many of the houses were in fact abandoned (in 2005).
an Azeri (!) sheperd with his wife
| Unconstrained, Russia Eys More Georgian Territories | | |
| September 29, 2009 | |
| by Giorgi Kvelashvili |
"... One year after its military aggression against Georgia, Russia, is apparently trying to not only secure the already impressive territorial gains it has made but to explore the feasibility of more expansion. As was the recent case with navigation in Georgia’s territorial waters along the Abkhazia coast, local adjutants’ claims nearly always precede Russian “concrete” and “decisive” measures, all in the absence of unequivocal international condemnation of the Russian moves.
Arguably, an occupation and annexation of the Truso Valley, let alone of the entire Kazbegi district, is more difficult to justify than the naval control of Georgia’s Abkhazia coast, but given the all-powerful “ethnic” and “humanitarian” nature of the “problem” – as portrayed by the Kremlin – in the Kazbegi district, it would not be impossible for the Russians “to come to the rescue of ethnic Ossetians” once again.
Russia is apparently creating advantageous international conditions to overthrow the pro-Western Saakashvili government in order to complete the process of Georgia’s disintegration."
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Tuschetien / Tuscheti (September) 2008
Waterfall on the Kachetian side of Omalo Road.Wasserfall auf der kachetischen Seite der Straße nach Omalo.
Mountain valleys Gebirgstäler
Overtaking can be very difficult... / Überholen kann ziemlich schwierig sein...
Cross on Abano pass. View to the north.Kreuz auf dem Abano-Pass. Blick nach Norden.
Landscape north of Abano-Pass (the tushetian side). A lot of erosion due to landslides and overherding.Landschaft nördlich des Abano-Passes (auf der tuschetischen Seite), gezeichnet von Erosion und Erdrutschen.
One of our 4-wheel-drives: An UAZ (Willisi) in action...Einer unserer Jeeps: Ein UAZ (Willisi) in Aktion...
or - frequently - being repaired.oder bei der Reparatur.
The Niva proved to be more reliable. Der Niwa war verlässlicher.
This is about the lowest point of the road to Omalo, probably half way from Abano pass.Dies ist vermutlich der niedrigste Punkt der Straße nach Omalo, etwa auf halber Strecke zwischen dem Abano-Pass und Omalo.
Watch out for birds - there are many birds of prey, including eagles...Wer die Augen offenhält, entdeckt viele Vögel - darunter auch Raubvögel wie Adler...
and singing birds, like this one (don't know the name)und Singvögel, wie dieser hier. (Den Namen kenne ich leider nicht.)
Slate, favourite construction material of the Tush, can be found in many places of Tusheti.Schiefer, das bevorzugte Baumaterial der Tuschen, kann vielerorts gefunden werden.
Slate can damage the tires - beware!Schiefer kann Reifen zerstören!
As I wrote in 2005, the road can only be passed from July to October. So you'll want to make sure you'll be back in time - otherwise, you'd have to stay till next summer - without electricity...Wie ich 2005 schrieb, ist die Straße nur von Juli bis Oktober passierbar. Man sollte also rechtzeitig zurückfahren, sonst muss man bis zum nächsten Juli bleiben - ohne Strom...
Dartlo. The "street" after a landslide in early spring.Dartlo und die "Straße" nach einem Erdrutsch im Frühjahr.
Landscape near Dartlo / Landschaft bei Dartlo
Flock of sheep near Dartlo / Schafherde nahe Dartlo
This peak, seen through a tele-lens, marks the border to Tshetshnia.Dieser Gipfel, fotografiert mit einem Teleobjektiv, markiert die Grenze zu Tschetschenien.
Probably the same mountain-range, seen from further away.Wahrscheinlich dieselbe Gebirgskette, gesehen aus größerer Entfernung.
This is the village of Cecho /Checho (with an old cemetary in the foreground)Dies ist das Dorf Schescho (mit einem alten Friedhof im Vordergrund)
Some houses / Einige Häuser
View to the west, in the direction of the village of Parsma.Blick nach Westen in Richtung des Dorfes Parsma.
Landscape around Checho, seen from the westLandschaft um Schescho, von Westen gesehen
Fire-towers, signaling danger in the pastFeuertürme, von denen in der Vergangenheit Gefahr angekündigt wurde
One of the towers near Checho / Einer der Türme nahe Schescho
Details of this tower / Details dieses Turms
An old barrel I found in one of the ruins of Checho, made from metalEin altes Fass aus Metall, gefunden in einer der Ruinen von Schescho
Our host, who was cooking deliciously / Unser Gastgeber, der wunderbar kochte
Heiner, my friend, witness to marriage and former colleage at workHeiner, mein Freund, Trauzeuge und ehemaliger Arbeitskollege
...sleeping instead of fishing (due to good food, dsadsha (like grappa, but more "spirited"), the sun and the difference in altitude... und schlafend statt fischend. Ein gewisses Überangebot an gutem Essen, starkem Dschadscha (etwa wie Grappa, nur mit mehr Umdrehungen), Sonne und der Höhenunterschied verfehlte seine Wirkung nicht.
A breakfast-table with Heiner, our host, our driver, a local and Heiner's father in law. The first glass of dshadsha (for the results, see above).Der Frühstückstisch mit Heiner, unserem Gastgeber, unserem Fahrer, einem Nachbarn und Heiners Schwiegervater. Und das erste Glas Dschadscha (das Ergebnis siehe oben).
The sanitary conditions are less comfortable, as are the shithouses...Die sanitären Bedingungen sind eher bescheiden, so wie leider oft auch die Plumpsklos.
Graffiti, seen on a hulk of a busGraffiti an den Überresten eines Busses
Natia and Soso, children of the neighboursNatia und Soso, Kinder der Nachbarn
Some white horses, seen in or near Checho. / Einige Schimmel, gesehen in oder nahe Schescho.
Some days later, I drove with another friend, Karu, to Shenako. Ein paar Tage später fuhr ich mit einem anderen Freund, Karu, nach Schenako.
A last view on Dartlo / Ein letzter Blick auf Dartlo
A last view on Dartlo / Ein letzter Blick auf Dartlo
Some valley, a snapshot from the tourEin Tal, Schnapschuss von der Tour
This is the village of Shenako: / Dies ist das Dorf Schenako:
Shenako is situated on a rather steep mountain ridge.
Schenako liegt an einem ziemlich steilen Berghang.
One of the Tush sanctuaries. Tusheti was christianized in the 16th century. And even today, there is only one church in Tusheti. Paganism remains strong.
Turm und eines der drei Tuschen-Heiligtümer. Das Christentum, das in Tuschetien erst im 16. Jh. eingeführt wurde, hat sich nie völlig durchgesetzt. Heute gibt es nur eine einzige Kirche in ganz Tuschetien.
Shenako is situated on a rather steep mountain ridge.Schenako liegt an einem ziemlich steilen Berghang.
One of the Tush sanctuaries. Tusheti was christianized in the 16th century. And even today, there is only one church in Tusheti. Paganism remains strong.Turm und eines der drei Tuschen-Heiligtümer. Das Christentum, das in Tuschetien erst im 16. Jh. eingeführt wurde, hat sich nie völlig durchgesetzt. Heute gibt es nur eine einzige Kirche in ganz Tuschetien.
Lightning candles at the sanctuary. Dshadsha, bread and cheese for Karu (who owns a small cottage in the village), who forgot to go to the eldest of the village right after arrival. So, we had to meet with the eldest the next morning at 7 am and drink a few cups of dshadsha...Entzünden von Kerzen am Heiligtum. Dschadscha, Brot und Käse wurde den Neuankömmlingen gereicht. Mein Freund Karu, der im Dorf eine Hütte besitzt, hatte vergessen sich gleich nach der Ankunft beim Dorfältesten zu melden. Daraufhin mussten wir uns mit ihm am nächsten Morgen um 7 Uhr treffen - und mit ein paar Gläsern Dshadsha anstoßen...
A Tushetian woman of Shenako / Eine Tuschin aus Schenako
The village community's place for festivities / Versammlungsplatz der Dorfgemeinschaft
Furs, drying in the sun / Felle, zum Trocknen aufgehängt
Shenako in the dawn / Schenako in der Dämmerung
Sheep, shepherds and sheepdogs around Shenako
Schafe, Schäfer und Schäferhunde bei Schenako:
Schafe, Schäfer und Schäferhunde bei Schenako:
Still a yound one / ein noch junger Hund
Goats tend to be a little more intelligent in finding a way in difficult terrain and are therefore mixed with the sheep.Ziegen sind ein bisschen intelligenter und werden deswegen gern mit Schafen gemischt, damit sie im schwierigen Gelände nicht zu schaden kommen.
The Russians are watching us... / Die Russen beobachten uns...O, I shouldn't forget the Georgian leopards. Nobody has seen them - except may-be those who met them...
Ich sollte nicht die Georgischen Leoparden vergessen. Niemand hat sie bisher gesehen - außer vielleicht diejenigen, die ihnen begegnet sind...
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