Lentekhi ლენტეხი | |
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  Lentekhi Location of Lentekhi in Georgia Show map of Georgia Lentekhi Lentekhi (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti) Show map of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti | |
| Coordinates:42°47′20″N42°43′25″E / 42.78889°N 42.72361°E /42.78889; 42.72361 | |
| Country | Georgia |
| Mkhare | Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti |
| District | Lentekhi |
| Elevation | 760 m (2,490 ft) |
| Population (2014)[1] | |
• Total | 947 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (Georgian Time) |
| Climate | Cfb[2] |
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Lentekhi (Georgian:ლენტეხი,Georgian pronunciation:[lentʼeχi]) is a small town and Lentekhi District's (Raion) capital inGeorgia's western region ofRacha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, 323 km northwest to the nation's capitalTbilisi. Situated on the southern slope of theCentral Caucasus, the district is a site ofalpinism.
Lentekhi ethnographically belongs to a historic Georgian province of Lower, or KvemoSvaneti. Cultural heritage of the area includes several monuments, particularlySt George's Church of Jgëræg (the 10th century), the Archangel Church of Thargizel (the 9–10th centuries), Tekal Church (the 10–11th centuries), Lentekhi Castle of theDadiani, and the famous Svanetian towers in the village of Leksuri.
There is a river that goes through the town and its inhabitants survive largely off of farming and lumber, though in recent years government restrictions have slowed this latter industry. Like in much of Georgia, tourism is seen as the future source of income as the weather in lower Svaneti is not as severe and Lentekhi is one of the larger towns before arriving in Mestia. Nevertheless, as in much of Svaneti, there has been a tendency for the younger generation to migrate to the larger cities or to find work overseas for economic reasons.[citation needed]
Every spring, there is a festival at the church high in the mountain above the town. There is a singing hall and one restaurant next to the river which serves traditional food of the region to travelers and sometimes locals. A spring flows from the mountainside with fresh mineral water of which the town consistently drinks.
In 2019, Lentekhi removed a figure of the goddessDali from the design of afountain planned for the city's main square.Metropolitan Stephan of theGeorgian Orthodox eparchy of Tsageri and Lentekhi had strongly criticized the inclusion of the goddess asidolatry, although mayor Badri Liparteliani stated the change was intended to increase the fountain's efficiency and visual appeal. The final version was built without the statue of Dali.[3][4]
