Poti, is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region in the west of the country. It is also known as Faş by the Turks because it was founded near the settlement of the ancient Greek colony Fasis. The city has been a major port city and industrial center since the 20th century. It also hosts the main naval base and headquarters of the Georgian navy.
Ancient and Medieval History
In classical antiquity and the early Middle Ages, it was occupied by the Greek city of Phasis, founded by Miletian colonists led by Themistagoras, probably at the beginning of the 6th century BC. The famous Greek mythological voyage of Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece is said to have entered Georgia at the port of Poti and traveled upriver to present-day Kutaisi.
According to research, the lake, which the ancient Greek writer Strabo reported to surround one side of Phasis, has now swallowed it or part of it. Since the lower reaches of the Rioni River are wet and cover many areas, a number of questions remain unanswered regarding the exact location of the city and the identification of its ruins ☹️
Phasis was an important trade and cultural center in Colchis during the classical period. The section along the Phasis River (attested by Strabo and Pliny) was a vital component of the supposed trade route from India to the Black Sea. It was known as Fasso by European travelers in the Middle Ages.
During the Third Mithridatic War, Phasis came under Roman control. During the Lazic War (542–562) between the Eastern Roman and Sassanid Persian empires, Phasis was attacked by Persian soldiers, but they failed. In the 8th century, the name of Poti entered Georgian written sources and was used for maritime trade by the Kingdom of Georgia.
Modern History
In 1578, Poti was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The Turks, who recognized the town as Fas, fortified the city and turned it into one of the Caucasian outposts, which also hosted a large slave market. An army of West Georgian principalities captured Poti in 1640, but the town came under Ottoman rule again in 1723.
Another futile attempt to oust the Ottomans from Poti was made by Russian-Georgian forces in 1770 and 1771. After Russia took control of most of Georgian territory in the 1800s, it attempted to remove the Turkish garrison from Poti in 1809 with the help of Georgian auxiliaries under the command of Princess Nino of Mingrelia, but it returned the castle to the Ottomans with the Treaty of Bucharest (1812). The next Russo-Turkish War resulted in Russia’s capture of Poti in 1828.
The town was connected to the Kutaisi Governorate and gained port city status in 1858. The port was rebuilt between 1863 and 1905. In 1872, the town became the terminus of the Caucasian railway, and the line connected directly to Tiflis.
Bonus: Poti gained size and importance, especially during the mayoralty of Niko Nikoladze between 1894 and 1912. Niko Nikoladze is considered the founding father of modern Poti.
By 1900, Poti had become one of the most important ports on the Black Sea, exporting most of Georgia’s manganese and coal. During a brief period of independence between 1918 and 1921, Poti became Georgia’s window to Europe and also served as the gateway for German and British expeditionary forces.
A preliminary German-Georgian alliance treaty was signed in Poti on May 28, 1918, but on March 14, 1921, Poti was occupied by Soviet Russia. During the Soviet period, Poti continued to function as a port, and the town became further industrialized and militarized.
Russian planes attacked the port during the Russian-Georgian war in 2008. Although a ceasefire was declared on August 12, Russian troops continued to occupy the city’s surroundings until withdrawing later that month ☹️
Let’s talk about the places to visit in Poti 🙂 Here you go