Route 3
3. Duisi - Kakliani - Amphitheatre- Baltagori - Jokolo - Duisi, (duration about 5 hours)
We begin this rout in the centre it Duisi, walking the main street lading to Jokolo village. We pass shops, local school, community center. The office of UNHCR as well as the branch of Georgian Ministry to matters of refugees and settlement is located in the community center, where we can find out many interesting things about Chechenian and Kistynian refugees. Little of them stayed in Pankisi gorge till the present moment, despite that refugees' situation is difficult. UNHCR and other NGOs pilot several helping programs for them, like the craftsman's workshops. It in the community center you can buy their work, ex. jewellery, articles made of felt - bags, wallets, caps and clothes.
After leaving from community center we go further to Jokolo, after few meters on the left we are passing so cold new red brick mosque. It was built it in 2001 r. mainly by the Chechenian refugees, followers of non-Sufi Islam, often called fundamentalists, at the present moment after the refugees' departure young residents are attending this mosque.
Behind the mosque we pass a mini gas station and we come to a Kistynian cemetery. We turn left from the main road, slightly uphill. We pass the cemetery, situated on a gentle slope over Duisi. It is worth to visit this cemetery. There are many interesting tombstones from different historical periods. The oldest ones are made of stone and have inscriptions in Arab. The tombstones present with times of Soviet Georgia are also interesting, made in characteristic style for whole Georgia: the marble plates with the painting of the deceased (from photo) often in natural size, pictured in every day situation related with his/ hers occupation or passion. Inscriptions are in Georgian, often shachad in Arab is added. The newest tombstones are more modest, without deceased's pictures, with inscriptions in Georgian and obligatorily a shachad in Arab. Several new tombstones on the cemetery are with inscriptions in Cyrillic alphabet or in Arab, to which high green flag are attached, signifying a heroic death of so cold shachids.
After leaving the cemetery we turn left heading to the mountains, we walk towards Dedisperuli village (also cold Kakliani). After several meters we come to an amphitheatre, situated on our right side. Amphitheatre was built in social act by Pankisi gorge residents in 1985- 1986. There is an obelisk round commemorating local people who died as soldiers of red army in time II world. On this obelisk every village has its board, where names of killed people are listed - Kists, Pshavs and Ossetians.
In 1998 r. (1999) amphitheatre hosted the president Iczkerii Asłan Maschadow, which arrived to Georgia on official invitation of the president of Georgia - Eduard Szewardnadze.
From overgrown with grass, trees and Caucasian mallows amphitheatre and wide view stretches over a part of Pankisi gorge - Duisi and Jokolo.
We come back from the amphitheatre to the main road up the hill and after a dozen meters or so we come to Pshzaws’ village - Dedisperuli also cold Kakliani. In the village occupants' majority lives poorly and modestly, mainly from what the nature gives them. In Kakliani you can buy the best nuts and mushrooms in whole Pankisi, not without reason second name of village- Kakliani means “nuts” in Georgian.
Our rout leads fourth Kakliani village and further by a mountain range, we turn by a little spring in the village and we head north uphill. After 10 -20 meters we come to ruins of a tower and a fortress from times of Torgva Pankeli’s duchy (XII - XIII c.). Then we head from this place down about 200-300 metres, the best way goes in a corridor of a dried stream, and come to place named Baltagori, probably built by Kists’ Chechenian ancestors who settled down in this place at the beginning of their stay in Georgia – at the end of XVIII c. It is a tower and next signaling point, one of many build around whole Pankisi gorge.
Baltagori tower kept is in a perfect shape. Stones be arranged very closely and systematically. It is possible to enter it only with a cast down ladder from the inside.
Probably it was built after the example of famous Chechenian towers. Till recently in every valley, over the second side of the mountains, there were a dozen or so of such towers.
When the weather is good Baltagori is a perfect view point over peaks of High Caucasus: from left there is Batana pass, then Spiroza peak and on the right side Nakerała.
From Baltagori we go down, after 200 meters we come to an old trees grove, where a small Georgian church is standing (XII - XIII in.), already on a belonging to Jokolo village slope. In the early 2000 wahhabists blew up a part of the church. At present we can see ruins, and among them main nave with the altar.
Until recently (5-10) years Kists together with other Georgian highlanders (Pshavs) celebrated Christian Easter in this place. They prayed, made sacrifice of lambs, lighted candles. They painted eggs red and carried them to a cemetery.
In front of this church there is a cornfield, and behind it ruins of a second Georgian church, overgrown with old oaks the and alders.
Along the trees we can notice arranged stones. Whole Kistynian and Pshaw families used to sit down on them, organize a holiday meal, made toasts, celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Today mainly Pshavs are celebrating Ester in this place.
After leaving the second temple heading to Jokolo village, we come to one of Alazani’s tributarys and walk back to the main road leading from Jokolo to Duisi.