Pankisi
Pankisi Gorge | |
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Georgian: პანკისის ხეობა | |
![]() ![]() Pankisi Gorge Show map of Georgia ![]() ![]() Pankisi Gorge Show map of Kakheti | |
Geography | |
Country | ![]() |
Coordinates | 42°07′N 45°16′E / 42.117°N 45.267°E / 42.117; 45.267Coordinates: 42°07′N 45°16′E / 42.117°N 45.267°E / 42.117; 45.267 |
Pankisi (პანკისი) or the Pankisi Gorge (Georgian: პანკისის ხეობა, Pankisis Kheoba) 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.
Contents
1 Area conditions
2 Cultural references
3 Notes
4 References
5 External links
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 senior ISIS leader "Omar the Chechen" grew up in the area, where his family still lives,[4] and in 2014 Omar reportedly threatened to return to the area to lead a Muslim attack on Russian Chechnya.[5]
Landmine Monitor warns of antipersonnel mines being laid in the Gorge. A number of casualties have resulted from landmines still being encountered in the Gorge.[6][7]
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 Kildar series.
Notes
^ Kleveman, Lutz, 'The New Great Game', Grove Press New York, 2003 page 35; sourced from New York Times August 15, 2002.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ Akhmeteli, Nina (2014-07-09). "Georgian roots of Isis commander". BBC News..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "Bloomberg - Are you a robot?".
^ "LM Report 2002". 2005-02-25. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
^ "LM Report 2006". 2006-09-12. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
References
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- Shorena Kurtsikidze & Vakhtang Chikovani, Ethnography and Folklore of the Georgia-Chechnya Border: Images, Customs, Myths & Folk Tales of the Peripheries, Munich: Lincom Europa, 2008.
External links
- Shorena Kurtsikidze and Vakhtang Chikovani, Georgia's Pankisi Gorge: An Ethnographic Survey, Berkeley Program in Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies,University of California, Berkeley, Spring 2002.(http://escholarship.org/uc/item/64d7v9hj)
- Rebecca Ruth Gould, “Secularism and Belief in Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge," Journal of Islamic Studies 22.3(2011): 339-373.
Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program [1]
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