Khobi Municipality
Khobi in Samegrelo: 13th-century Khobi Monastery, burial place of the Dadiani, the Khobi river and Kolkheti wetlands. History.
Khobi Municipality — overview
MunicipalityHistory
Khobi Municipality lies in the south-west of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, on the Kolkheti (Colchis) lowland between Zugdidi and Poti, with the town of Khobi as its administrative centre, at about 25 m above sea level. The municipality covers about 659 km² of flat, fertile plains crossed by the Khobi River, which flows from the mountains of Samegrelo to the Black Sea. Part of Kolkheti National Park, with its wetlands and forests, extends into the municipality.
The area belonged to the historic land of Samegrelo (Mingrelia) and, in the late Middle Ages, to the domains of the Dadiani princes. Its most important monument is Khobi Monastery, in the village of Nojikhevi about 3 km north of the town. First mentioned in 1212–1222, its main church was built in the second half of the 13th century; it preserves frescoes of the 13th–14th and 17th centuries and a bell tower built between the 14th and 17th centuries.
Khobi Monastery served as an abbey and burial place of the Dadiani family, the rulers of Mingrelia, and was renowned for its sacred relics, including a relic venerated as the robe of the Virgin Mary. Its fortified enclosure and painted church make it one of the key medieval monuments of western Georgia.
The modern town of Khobi grew up on the river and the main road of western Georgia and received town status in 1981. Today the municipality is mainly agricultural, known for its plains, orchards and the wetland landscapes of the Colchis lowland.
For travellers, Khobi is an easy stop on the road between Zugdidi and Poti: visit Khobi Monastery and its frescoes, then continue to the coast or to the Kolkheti wetlands, a protected area rich in birds and floodplain forests.
FAQ
1) Where is Khobi Municipality located?
In the south-west of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, on the Kolkheti lowland between Zugdidi and Poti.
2) What is the administrative centre?
The town of Khobi, at about 25 m above sea level.
3) When did Khobi become a town?
In 1981.
4) Where is Khobi Monastery?
In the village of Nojikhevi, about 3 km north of Khobi.
5) When was Khobi Monastery built?
It is first mentioned in 1212–1222; the main church dates from the second half of the 13th century.
6) Why is Khobi Monastery important?
It was an abbey and burial place of the Dadiani rulers of Mingrelia and preserves medieval frescoes.
7) Which river flows through Khobi?
The Khobi River, which flows to the Black Sea.
8) Is Kolkheti National Park nearby?
Yes, part of the park extends into the municipality.
9) How large is the municipality?
About 659 km².
10) Where can I find official municipal information?
On the municipality’s official website.