The secret of Khvamli Mountain

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The secret of Khvamli Mountain

“Once upon a time, when the Lord was ascending to the heaven, carrying treasures in the basket, he stumbled on the Khomli mountain on the Mount Caucasus and all the treasures scattered on the mountain”, – the legend says. It is impossible, once visiting Georgia and not to believe in this legend. Khvamli mountain is one of the wonders. Khvamli, also known as Khomli, is located in Lechkhumi. The height of the mountain is 2002 meters. Noteworthy caves are Tekenteri and frozen cave Boga. Khvamli is covered with the mixed forest. According to the old, ancient sources, Khvamli – Khomli is considered as the mystic place of trip of the legendary Greek heroes, Argonauts and the Heracles. To this mountain Prometheus was chained with the order by Zeus, who later was released by Heracles. In 50s of the XIX century, the Italian traveller and researcher, Daniela Pizzagalli visited this mountain. She, based on the antique Greek sources, was looking for the Argonauts and the places where Prometheus was chained. As later she wrote in her memories, most of all she was surprised of the fact that the local residents knew the legend and they were full of joy when hunting the griffon, which according to the legend, pinched the entrails of Prometheus. Khomli mountain, based on historical sources, is described by the French writer, Jules Verne in his adventure novel “Keraban the Inflexible”: “in these mountains, crossing the horizon near the modern Kutaisi, the son of Clymene and Iapetus, who stole the fire, with the order by Jupiter (Zeus) was chained on the top of Khomli and was pinched by the griffons”. Apollonius of Rhodes, in his novel “Argonautica” also describes Khomli as the place where the Argonauts traveled. According to the scientists, the Khomli mountain cave may be the source of information about Basques, Sumerians, Indians and their connection with Georgia. Scientist suppose that Khvamli mountain is also linked with the metallurgic secret. The iron weapon, or the forging the steel was like the nuclear explosion for that era. If we look through mythology, the reason for Troy war was not Elena, it was the secret knowledge of Troy population about iron production and that’s why they were the object of constant attacks. Iron had much more value in that era than the oil has today. And there is a place “Gona” near the bottom of Khvamli, the toponym of which exists in Racha as well. Gona, or Goni is explained by Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani as – “the Idol Deified” and we know that it was the main idol in pagan Georgia. Etymologically, this word should be something related to knowledge, wisdom. There were mines on Goni mountain in Racha. People used to reach the mines by paths, following the vessel of the ore, fractioning, taking out and processing to be filled in the mold. Georgian scientist, Temur Mujiri even held the experiment: equipped several local young, strong residents with the hammers and assigned to extract iron from mine with the ancient method. It took two weeks to obtain 2 cm. of the ore. We can see that ancient Georgians had the instrument to cut the iron, it means they knew the secret how to produce steel. Hence, Goni is knowledge of obtaining and processing iron. This fact forced the archeologists to excavate Goni adjacent areas. The surface excavations have been held and the bronze and iron items found enhanced assumptions of the scientists. Slags and ore bats are scattered on the surface densely located. Archeologists found the hearth of developed metallurgy of Colchis culture period and can give much more. In this view, there is the expedition still working and researching this area.

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