Sighnaghi

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Sighnaghi (Signagi) (Georgian: სიღნაღი) is a town in Georgia’s easternmost region of Kakheti and the administrative center of the Sighnaghi District. It is the country’s one of the smallest towns with a population of 2,146 as of the 2002 census.^[1] Sighnaghi's economy is dominated by production of wine and traditional carpets. The town is also known for its landscapes and historical monuments and is projected to become one of the centres of Georgia's tourist industry.

[edit] History

The territory of the modern-day town has been settled since Paleolithic period and had been known as Hereti in Middle Ages and as Kiziqi since the 15th century. Sighnaghi (literally meaning "a harbor" in Turkish) as a settlement is first recorded in the early 18th century. In 1762, Heraclius II of Georgia sponsored the construction of the town and erected a fortress to defend the area from the marauding attacks by Dagestan tribesmen. As of the 1770 census, Sighnaghi was settled by 100 families, chiefly by craftsmen and merchants. When Georgia was annexed by Imperial Russia in 1801, Sighnaghi was officially granted the town’s status and became a centre of Sighnakh uyezd (Russian: Сигнахский уезд) within Tiflis Governorate in 1802. The town quickly rose in its size and population and became an agricultural centre under the Soviet Union. A severe economic crisis in post-Soviet Georgia heavily affected the town, but a major reconstruction project recently launched by the Government of Georgia and co-funded by several international organizations intends to address an increasing tourist interest and modernize infrastructure.^[2]

[edit] Geography and climate

The town has an area of 297.8 hectares with 24.3 per cent being residential.^[2] Sighnaghi is approximately 113 km southeast of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Sighnaghi District is adjacent, on the town’s east and southwest sides. Sighnaghi is situated on the eastern foothills of the Gombori Range, a watershed between the Iori and Alazani valleys, in a productive agricultural and fruit-growing region. At the elevation of about 790 m above seal level, the town overlooks the Alazani Valley and faces the Greater Caucasus mountains.

Sighnaghi has a mild humid climate. There are four seasons, with winters being moderately cold while summers can be hot. The highest average temperature is in July at 24.3 °C while the lowest average temperature is in January at 0.2 °C. Average annual precipitation ranges from 602.1 to 949.7 mm,^[2] with the heaviest occurring during the spring months and early summer.