Baghdati
Geography
The town is located at the edge of the Ajameti forest on the left bank of the river Khanistsqali, about 170 kilometres (110 mi) west-northwest of Tbilisi and 25 kilometres (16 mi) south-southeast of Kutaisi.
The climate of Baghdati can be classified as moderately humid subtropical (Köppen climate classification Cfa).
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Baghdati_Cathedral_1.jpg/285px-Baghdati_Cathedral_1.jpg)
Baghdati is one of the oldest villages in the historical Imereti region. Its name shares the same origins as the name of the capital of Iraq, Baghdād: Bagh 'god' and dāti 'given', which can be translated as "God-given" or "God's gift" in the Pahlavi language. When Georgia was part of the Russian Empire and during the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, its name was changed to Baghdadi (Russian: Багдади). In 1940, it was renamed Mayakovsky (Georgian: მაიაკოვსკი; Russian: Маяковский), after the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky who was born here in 1893. In 1981, Mayakovsky was granted town status. In 1991, the original name, slightly modified, was restored.
Demographics
Year | Population |
---|---|
1959 | 4586 |
1970 | 4609 |
1979 | 4831 |
1989 | 5465 |
2002 | 4714 |
2009 | 4800 |
2014 | 3707 |
- Note: Census data 1959–2014
Economy
In Baghdati there is a furniture factory and companies in the food industry (canned food, wine). The nearest railway stations are located in Rioni and Kutaisi.
Culture
Baghdati has the Vladimir Mayakovsky Museum and a National Theatre. It is also home to the Baghdati Cultural Center and the Baghdati Central Stadium.
Notable people
- Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893–1930), poet