History
Samegrelo Zemo-Svaneti region - Part of Western Georgia: The region comprises the southwest of the Black Sea and the Caucasus Range and rivers Enguri, Rioni, Tskhenistskali and Kodori.
From the earliest centuries, two geographical neighbors and landscapes, Kolketi and Svaneti, are once called the Kingdom of Kolkhis, whose ethnic name, Kolkhis, is mentioned in the oldest and the Byzantine sources. The strength of the Kolkh tribal union, the creator of this culture, was reflected in the ancient Greek texts of the Argonauts (the Argonauts): In earlier centuries Svaneti was a part of the Kingdom of Kolkhis and then the Egrisi Kingdom.
The Kolkhic Tribal Union of the Black Sea Colonies is already established as a state in the early millennium BC . The earliest seventh century is known as the Kolkhis Kingdom, and from the early epoch of the 20th century, the Colchis Kingdom is known throughout the Antique world, known as the Herodotus by the Middle East's Great Monarchy and Aqaemenidian Iran. In these years the state is headed by the King - ancient Greek writers, the AYTE representative (the descendant of Ayeti ,the legendary King of Kolkhis).
Kolkhis kingdom gradually weakened in the IV-III centuries BC, and at the crossing of the 2nd-I century BC, the king of Pontus Mithridate VI Euppatore conquered Kolkhis, and most of the Kolkhis districts were influenced by the Roman Empire.
Preachers of First Christianity in Western Georgia Andrew the First and Svimon Kananeli (I c.) . Dominus, The Bishop of Trabzon and the Bishop of Bichvinta were present at the World Council of Nicaea (325), that proves the fact of strengthening Christianity in western Georgia.
Samegrelo and Svaneti regions have contributed to various state statuses in different periods of time in the formation of the Georgian statehood, confirming whether Georgian historic sources and samples of ancient culture and architecture, which are still preserved.