GEORGIA – The Tamada

GEORGIA – The Tamada

Georgia Tbilisi

Walking through the center of Tbilisi, you come across a curious statue: a man quietly seated in the center of the square holding the typical Georgian “Khanzi” chalice.

The “Tamada”, or the master of ceremonies, is represented here, the one who at each banquet (or “Supra“) proposes and guides the toasts, accompanied by a short and effective preface.

In Georgia, drinking wine with friends is practically a lifestyle, a very important tradition and the toast therefore becomes a convivial and sacred act, marked by a complex system of consolidated customs and traditions.

You can therefore understand how important the role of the Tamada is.

A good Tamada must be sensitive, intelligent, always in a good mood, of good culture, have innate oratory skills, almost a poet, know how to conduct the evening, know how to decide when to propose a toast, when to sing, when to call everyone to dance. Obviously, he must know the wines and their characteristics very well, be able to ingest large quantities without problems and know the traditions of service and the table.

Every time the Tamada proposes a toast, everyone gets up, listens to his words in absolute silence, then at the final cry, they drink the wine from their Khanzi in one gulp.

Usually it starts with a toast in honor of the event that is celebrated, then a toast is proposed to the guest, one to health, one to fertility, one to prosperity, one to longevity, one to the dead, one to loved ones, one to friendship, one to dreams and so on for the duration of the “supra”.

It is also traditional to propose a toast to each person at the Georgian table trying to distinguish the most interesting and positive traits.

If the guests are few, usually the figure of the Tamada is identified in the head of the family or the eldest, while on great occasions, such as at a wedding banquet, the Tamada must be named in advance.

In Georgia, the culture of wine is very ancient, and is an integral part of history and national identity, wine at the table is the absolute protagonist, but a good Tamada is always necessary to ensure the good result of the ceremony.

BEYOND by MAGIC TRAVELS

BEYOND by MAGIC TRAVELS

Abu Dhabi Armenia Dubai Emirati Arabi Georgia Giordania Magic Camps Oman Partner

Faced with the growing desire for authenticity, space and awareness for sustainable tourism, Magic Travels has decided to mark a new turning point towards eco-responsible and ethical travel, after a first step initiated by the creation of Magic Camps (eco-chic tented camps in the Emirates and Oman).

This new twist has a name: BEYOND by Magic Travels.

“Beyond”: beyond the classic tours, beyond the beaten paths and beyond the travel experiences generally offered up to now.

This new brand will offer eco-responsible tours in the 5 destinations where Magic is present with its offices: United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan, Armenia and Georgia.

But why BEYOND? Because the goal of this new production, which will initially be aimed at individual customers, will be to take them “beyond” the classic circuits and not only to offer “adventurous” trips off the beaten path, but also intense experiences aimed at encouraging meeting with local communities.

The BEYOND programs will be accessible to both beginners and experienced adventurers, looking for meaning, or simply for adventure and excitement.

Social and cultural exchanges are promoted through many original and unusual experiences for responsible and authentic travel.

Closed doors open to offer unique encounters, to discover places hitherto inaccessible but above all to tell the true story of the country. When the journey is no longer a simple destination but an immersion.

In a responsible tourism approach, all programs are created by a team of enthusiasts with full respect for local populations and their environments.

BEYOND, where the MAGIC happens!

GEORGIA – Italian architecture in Tbilisi

GEORGIA – Italian architecture in Tbilisi

Georgia Tbilisi

In Georgia Italy has always been famous for many of its qualities such as art, food, music, cinema, fashion and football. In the last 15 years, however, it has begun to make itself known also for architecture, thanks to two great architects who have redesigned the skyline of Tbilisi.

In fact, the Georgian government in 2004, to start a political-cultural renaissance in the country, to redo the look and to transform Tbilisi into a cosmopolitan city, hired the italian (from Ferrara) architect and designer Michele De Lucchi.

One of the first projects entrusted to him by President Saakashvili was the redevelopment of the Rike district, near the city center, where a new park was built and where the new Presidential Palace was built (which is very reminiscent of the Reichstag in Berlin), whose works, which started in 2004, ended in 2009.

Subsequently, De Lucchi was also entrusted with the construction of the new building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a structure built in 2008, built on an area of 50,000 square meters, entirely covered with glass and reminiscent of the shape of a corrugated ribbon.

The following year, the architect also oversaw the construction of the Bridge of Peace, which connects the historic Berikoni district to the Rike district, crossing the Mtkhvari river and immediately becoming one of the symbols of the Georgian capital. It is sinusoidal in shape, consisting of steel pipes and trapezoidal glass elements. Seen from afar, the bridge seems to be suspended over the water, as the only supports are located along the two banks of the river. The work was conceived as a real bridge between ancient and modern, not only because it divides the historic center from the renewed Rike district, but also because it symbolizes the ambitions of a country that wants to look ahead without forgetting its identity.

After this important collaboration, it was then up to Massimiliano Fuksas, one of the best known architects internationally, to enrich the skyline of Tbilisi with new works. The first structure built by Fuksas in the Georgian capital was the Tbilisi Public Service Hall, currently home to numerous administrative offices, a few hundred meters from De Lucchi’s Bridge of Peace, is made up of seven cantilevered volumes covered with glass, arranged around to a large central square. Finally, the entire structure is covered with 11 large “petals” that differ in geometry and size, structurally independent of the rest of the building and supported by a tree-pylon structure.

Another work created by the Roman architect, completed on the exterior but unfortunately not yet used, is the Music Theater and Exhibition Hall, born as a periscope from the Rike park to reach out towards the city, in fact it is composed of two volumes vaguely shaped like large pipes and connected as a single body to a retaining wall.

(Italiano) GEORGIA – La Croce di Santa Nino

(Italiano) GEORGIA – La Croce di Santa Nino

Georgia

Saint Nino (Cristiana) is a recurring character during a trip to Georgia. It is she who preached and introduced Christianity to Georgia.

She arrived at the borders of the ancient Georgian Kingdom of Iberia around 320 AD. Here she erected a Christian cross in the small village of Akhalkalaki and began to preach her faith in the surrounding regions.

After several miraculous healings she moved to Mtskheta where she first converted the queen Nana and then the pagan king Mirian III of Iberia, who declared Christianity an official religion (327). An important episode in her life was when thanks to a night of her prayers, the wooden column that was supposed to support the church of Mtskheta miraculously moved alone (the workers had not succeeded in the work) to the place where according to tradition Sidonia was buried with the tunic of Christ.

She then continued her missionary activities among the Georgians and retired to the Bodbe mountain pass until her death (340). A monastery dedicated to her was then built on this site.

The most important symbol of the Georgian Orthodox Church is the Cross of vine shoots, better known as the Cross of Saint Nino because it was she who introduced it.

It is recognizable by the slight downward curvature of the horizontal arms. Some sources say that Saint Nino received the cross from the Virgin Mary and encircled it with her own hair, others instead narrate that it was she who created it.

The cross always accompanied her in the mission of evangelization of the saint in these territories.

The cross was kept at the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta until 541, was then moved to Armenia, where it remained until 1124. It then returned to Ananuri in Georgia and was subsequently brought to Moscow by the Georgian bishop Timothy. In 1802, when Georgia was incorporated into the Russian Empire, the relic was returned to the veneration of the Georgian people. Since then it is kept in the Sioni cathedral of Tbilisi.

Important news for Magic Roads

Important news for Magic Roads

Armenia Georgia

Part of the Magic Arabia group and the Tourism Connection® portfolio, one of the most well-known and appreciated DMCs by Italian tour operators and travel agencies with offices in Dubai, Oman and Jordan, today it broadens its range, thus covering in a more widespread way, with owned offices, new and emerging destinations along the Silk Road such as Armenia and Georgia.

The services offered by the DMC range from tailor-made individual trips to large incentive groups, to tours with guaranteed departures with a minimum of two participants.

Thanks to the deep knowledge of the planned destinations, an Italian speaking staff acts as a valid consultant for the success of high quality value travel. Last but not least, the privileged relationship with hoteliers and local suppliers guarantees the best value for money (www.magic-roads.com).

GEORGIA Top 7 | 7 buoni motivi per amarla…

GEORGIA Top 7 | 7 buoni motivi per amarla…

Georgia

Casinò, birra artigianale e grotte sacre – è questo il paese più sorprendente d’ Europa

Ottimo cibo, natura mozzafiato e grande cultura, la rendono da tempo la destinazione più apprezzata da viaggiatori avventurosi. Ma il paese – che accoglie  i viaggiatori italiani con voli diretti Wizz air da Bergamo alla capitale Tbilisi, ha molto di più da offrire che khachapuri e vino rosso. Tra le sue cattedrali e le fattorie cristiane ortodosse presenta una straordinaria varietà di caffè gourmet, club e casinò.

 

In nessun altro luogo è possibile danzare tutta la notte in una vecchia fabbrica tessile dell’epoca sovietica o rilassarsi su una spiaggia tropicale o ancora ritemprarsi in una fresca caverna di montagna.

 

  1. La città marina più singolare d ‘Europa

    Batumi, la cittadina sul mare dove  grattacieli e casinò si aprono al centro dei suoi  boulevards del XIX secolo,  gode di un microclima bizzarro e subtropicale più simile a Bali che alla Bielorussia. In estate può essere soffocante e umida con temporali frequenti, obbligandovi a tenere sempre a portata di mano un impermeabile  accanto al costume da bagno.

  2. I caffè Georgiani

    Non hanno nulla da invidiare ai celebri hipster bar di Londra. Il paese è pazzo per il caffè, che viene  servito nello stile tradizionale, forte e amaro, come il caffè turco; ma i locali stanno migliorando sempre più le loro attitudini per proporre nuove invitanti proposte. Meglio di tutto,  quando la temperatura aumenta, è la birra fredda, prodotta quotidianamente che richiede 18 ore di preparazione.

  3. C’è molto da fare al calar della notte

    Batumi e Tbilisi attirano nei loro locali notturni DJ di fama mondiale. L’atmosfera nei club è tecno-pesante. Tbilisi Bassiani, costruita in una vecchia piscina, ospita DJ locali e internazionali, mentre il Fabrika propone una moltitudine di affascinanti bar e ristoranti nel centro di Tbilisi.

  4. Birra artigianale in abbondanza

    La Georgia è legittimamente famosa per i suoi incredibili vini biologici, ma nella capitale Tbilisi prospera un numero sempre crescente di microbirrificazioni con nuove ondate di birre artigianali. Un avvertimento: la birra georgiana ha un gusto piuttosto acido, ma perfetto durante il caldo estivo.

  5. Paradiso dei ciclisti

    Un numero sempre più crescente di ciclisti  percorre l’antica via della seta in Asia usando  il paese come corridoio per Azerbaigian e il Mar Caspio. Sulle due ruote  è possibile dirigersi verso le  montagne per ammirare panorami mozzafiato.  Attenzione alle mucche vaganti: hanno sempre il diritto di precedenza.

  6. Ricca di cave segrete

    Le montagne georgiane sono punteggiate da monasteri e insediamenti scolpiti nella roccia – distese  intere di case scavate nella scogliera riportano alla saga di Star Wars. Un gruppo di  antichi monaci  vive ancora nel spettacolare monastero della grotta a Vardzia, nella Georgia meridionale, un complesso di circa 3.000 camere e corridoi. Vicino al confine con l’Azerbaigian, il complesso desertico mozzafiato  David Gareji comprende 13 diversi monasteri.

  7. L’unico posto al mondo dove bere vino arancione

    Il motto georgiano è quello di essere da sempre il  luogo di nascita della vinificazione moderna detenendo una vasta cultura del vino. Il vino georgiano è prodotto  e fermentato in anfore di argilla chiamate qvevri, e include un ceppo di uve d’ ambra famoso in tutto il mondo.