Iori Managed Reserve – Protected Area of Eastern Georgia

Iori Managed Reserve is located in eastern Georgia, in Sighnaghi municipality, 30 km from the town of Sighnaghi and covers approximately 2,000 hectares of the river Iori plain. The main reason for creating the reserve was to protect the forests in the floodplain along the river. Iori floodplain is a breeding ground for various species of plants, birds and animals.

Common plants living on the territory include Georgian iris, Eichler tulip, gorse, incense tree, juniper, swamp oak, Oriental hornbeam, paliurus, and tamarisk. The latter is a biblical plant, worshipped as a sacred plant by Jews.

There are also many rock partridges here, whose voices can be heard in the forest at all times. There are also pheasants, and the beautiful black francolin, an endemic species of the Iori Valley.

Among mammals living here, there are wolves, otters, and wild boars.

Camping is also possible here, but only with permission of the administration of the protected area.