IGeorgia—Ifa Lasendulo Elilondoloziwe
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPAMA!
UBUNGATHANDA yini ukuhlala ezweni elinezigodi ezikhiqizayo ezikhosele phakathi kwezintaba ezimbozwe yiqhwa ezingamamitha angu-4600 ukuphakama, lapho abanye abantu bephila khona iminyaka eyikhulu nangaphezulu? Ezakhamuzini zaseGeorgia, lokhu akulona nje iphupho. Kuyinto engokoqobo.
IGeorgia isemngceleni weYurophu ne-Asia futhi ilapho kuhlukana khona amasiko alamazwekazi. Ezikhathini zasendulo, iGeorgia yayiyisikhumulo esibalulekile kuSilk Road odumile, umgwaqo uMarco Polo ahamba ngawo eya eChina. IGeorgia yazuza ngokwezimali nangokwempucuko ngokuba nobudlelwane neMpumalanga neNtshonalanga, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi abahlaseli bakuthola kuzuzisa ukudlula ngalendlela. Ngokokunye ukulinganisa, inhloko-dolobha yaseGeorgia, iTbilisi, iye yabhujiswa izikhathi ezingu-29! Namuhla, iTbilisi iyidolobha elimatasa nokuhlalwa kulo, elinomgwaqo ohamba ngaphansi nezakhiwo zesimanje eziphakathi kwamatshe ezikhumbuzo aqoshiwe asenesikhathi eside ekhona.
Amaphesenti angaba ngu-87 endawo yaseGeorgia yizintaba. Kusukela enkangala eneqhwa nephundlekile kuya emathafeni kugeleza imifula engu-25 000, eminingi igcwele izinhlanzi. Ingxenye yezwe engaphezu kweyodwa kwezintathu igcwele amahlathi noma uhlaza. Undi lwezintaba zaseCaucasus emngceleni weGeorgia osenyakatho luvikela ingxenye yezwe emaphakathi esimweni sezulu esibanda njengeqhwa sasenyakatho. Lesi simo sivumela ingxenye yeGeorgia engasentshonalanga ukuba ifudunyezwe umoya onomswakamo ovela kuyiBlack Sea—okungesinye sezizathu ezenza izivakashi zithande ukuchitha amaholide eGeorgia. Isimo sezulu esikahle naso siye sasiza kwelinye lamasiko amadala namahle kakhulu emhlabeni okwenza iwayini. Eqinisweni, iGeorgia ikhiqiza izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene ezingaphezu kwezingu-500 zamagilebhisi nezewayini!
Nokho, into enhle kakhulu ngeGeorgia, abantu bakhona. Bayaziwa emlandweni ngokuba nesibindi, ukuhlakanipha, nesandla ekuphatheni izihambi, nangokuthanda kwabo ukuhleka nothando ngokuphila. Isiko labo licebe ngomculo nomdanso, futhi amaculo esintu yiwona asaculwa kakhulu abantu baseGeorgia lapho behlezi emakhaya.
IGeorgia futhi inomlando omude wokuba nezifundiswa, kusukela ekhulwini lesihlanu. Ulimi lwesiGeorgia lwaba phakathi kwezilimi zokuqala okwahunyushelwa kuzo iBhayibheli, kusetshenziswa izinhlamvu zesiGeorgia ezinhle nezingavamile. Wonke lawa masiko enza ukuxhumana kokuphila neGeorgia yasendulo—ifa lasendulo elilondolozwe ezweni lanamuhla.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]
Pat O’Hara/Corbis
[Izithombe ekhasini 25]
1. IBhayibheli lesiGeorgia
2. Ezinye izakhamuzi eseziphile iminyaka eyikhulu nangaphezulu!
3. Umgwaqo omatasa eTbilisi
[Umthombo]
Dean Conger/Corbis