Pankisi Gorge
Georgian: პანკისის ხეობა
Pankisi Gorge is located in Georgia
Pankisi Gorge
Pankisi Gorge
Pankisi Gorge is located in Kakheti
Pankisi Gorge
Pankisi Gorge
Geography
Country Georgia
Coordinates42°07′N 45°16′E / 42.117°N 45.267°E / 42.117; 45.267

Pankisi (Georgian: პანკისი) or the Pankisi Gorge (Georgian: პანკისის ხეობა, Pankisis Kheoba)[lower-alpha 1] is a valley region in Georgia, in the upper reaches of River Alazani just south of Georgia’s historic region of Tusheti between Mt Borbalo and the ruined 17th-century fortress of Bakhtrioni. Administratively, it is included in the Akhmeta municipality of the Kakheti region. An ethnic group called Kists of Chechen roots form the majority (75%) in the area.

Area conditions

Flag of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and Georgia in Pankisi Gorge

It had allegedly often been used as a base for transit, training and shipments of arms and financing by Chechen rebels and Islamic militants, including foreign fighters, many of whom followed Ruslan Gelayev.[1] Most of these accusations were around 2002, but others allege that it is more peaceful now,[2] although there are still many Chechen refugees living there.[3]

The former senior Islamic State leader Tarkan Batirashvili, otherwise known as "Omar the Chechen", grew up in the area where some of his family still lives.[4] In 2014, Batirashvilii reportedly threatened to return to the area to lead a Muslim attack on Russian Chechnya,[5] however such a threat never came into fruition as he was killed during a battle in the town of Al-Shirqat in Iraq of 2016.

Cultural references

The situation in the Pankisi Gorge received an extensive fictional treatment factoring into several of the popular John Ringo anti-terrorism military science fiction books in the Paladin of Shadows series.

Notes

  1. Chechen: ПӀаьнгазхой чӀаж, romanized: Phängazkhoy ch'azh, Ingush: ПӀенгишхой чӀож, romanized: Phengishkhoy ch'ozh

References

  1. Kleveman, Lutz, 'The New Great Game', Grove Press New York, 2003 page 35; sourced from New York Times August 15, 2002.
  2. BBC News, Russia's reach unnerves Chechens, Wednesday, 16 January 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7189024.stm Retrieved September 29, 2010.
  3. UNHCR, 'Chechen refugees in Pankisi Gorge resume normal life after Georgia scare', 1 October 2008. http://www.unhcr.org/48e389e12.html Retrieved September 29, 2010.
  4. Akhmeteli, Nina (2014-07-09). "Georgian roots of Isis commander". BBC News.
  5. Michael Winfrey (October 9, 2014). "Islamic State Grooms Chechen Fighters Against Putin". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014.

Bibliography

  • Kurtsikidze, Shorena; Chikovani, Vakhtang (2008). Ethnography and Folklore of the Georgia-Chechnya Border: Images, Customs, Myths & Folk Tales of the Peripheries. Munich: Lincom Europa.


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