Borjomi Gorge
Borjomi Gorge Show map of Samtskhe-Javakheti Borjomi Gorge Show map of Georgia
Naming
Native name	ბორჯომის ხეობა (Georgian)
Geography
Country	Georgia Georgia
State/Province	Samtskhe-Javakheti
Population center	Likani and Borjomi
Coordinates	41°50′53″N 43°24′36″E / 41.84806°N 43.41000°E / 41.84806; 43.41000
River	Kura River

Borjomi Gorge (Georgian: ბორჯომის ხეობა) is a picturesque canyon of the Kura River in central Georgia. The gorge was formed as a result of the Kura River cutting its path through the Lesser Caucasus Mountains where the Trialeti and Meskheti Ranges meet. A significant portion of the Borjomi Gorge is covered by mixed and coniferous forests made up of oak, maple, beech, spruce, fir, and pine. A large portion of the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park lies within the gorge, as well as the towns of Likani and Borjomi itself.^[1] Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline cuts through the portion of the gorge.^[2]

History

Older books call it the Borzhom or Borjom Defile. About the time of the Russo-Turkish War (1828–29) it was militarily important since it was the natural route southwest through the mountains from Russian-controlled Georgia to the Turkish Pashalik of Akhaltsikhe. It was guarded by a fort or castle called Atskhur.