Samtredia

Where is Samtredia Located?

Samtredia Municipality with the center in eponymous town is located on the Colchis Lowland, on the banks of the Rioni River, 25 meters above sea level. It is 30 km from Kutaisi, and 20 km from Kutaisi International Airport.

Samtredia is located at the crossroads of Imereti, Guria, and Samegrelo Regions. From Samtredia, the road lead westwards to the Black Sea coast of Georgia, including Ajara and Abkhazia Regions. 

History of Samtredia 

According to historians’ sources, Samtredia first appeared as a village in the second half of the 18th century. At that time, it was built in a large forest-swamp land.

In 1872, when the Tbilisi-Poti railway line was opened in Georgia, people started to settle in these places. As the infrastructure improved, industry developed. The swamps were drained and the climate improved too. Soon, Samtredia became one of the country’s main transport hubs.

As for the name, it is known that there was a forest full of pigeons (“mtredi” in Georgian) on the Colchis Lowland, in the area where Samtredia municipality is now. It is assumed that the name of the city comes from here.

What Should You See in Samtredia?

Most of Samtredia municipality is built on ancient settlements, and so there are many valuable sights. For example, there is Telepis - ruins of a castle of the 11th-12th centuries in the village of Toli, the ancient settlement of Dablagomi, as well as churches named after the Mother of God, the Savior, the Nativity, the Crucifixion, St. George, and St. Nicholas all located in different villages dating back to the 15th-16th centuries.

Around 6 km away from Samtredia is the village of Kulashi, representing the best example of the coexistence of Georgian and Jewish people. Jews who left in the 1990s still often come back to Georgia to visit their old houses. A synagogue still stands in the center of Kulashi, the key to which is kept by the family living next to the shrine.