🇬🇪Mingrelians (Mingrelians) are a mysterious people

 🇬🇪Mingrelians (Mingrelians) are a mysterious people
By their origin, Megrelians belong to the Eastern Mediterranean subtype (Pontic and Caucasian types) of the large Caucasian race.
As a rule, they have blue, green or light brown eyes, blond hair, chestnut hair color also predominates, and expressive facial features.
Some ethnographers classify them as Georgians, others consider them to be ethnic relatives and see them as descendants of the ancient Khazars.
There is a widespread version that the Mingrelians are Georgian Jews (descendants of the Khazars), but ethnographers have not found confirmation of this statement and believe that rumors about the Jewish origin of the Mingrelians arose due to confusion; for a long time another ethnic group lived in Georgia - Georgian Jews.
Mingrelian language (self-name - მარგალურ ნინა [margalur nina]) is the language of Mingrelians, one of the Kartvelian languages of northwestern Georgia. Most people who speak this language live in Samegrelo (the land of the Mingrelians). The approximate number of speakers is 345 thousand people.
They call themselves “Margalels”.
This is one of almost two dozen nationalities of Georgia, along with Adjarians, Svans, Khevsurs, Kakhetians, etc.
In ancient times, the Mingrelians and their neighbors - the Imeretians, Lazians, etc., who lived in western Georgia, on the shores of the Black Sea, were called Colchs - hence “Colchis”, the land of the Golden Fleece known from ancient Greek myths. Later the Mingrelians became a separate group.
In the 17th century, the Italian missionary Lamberti, who visited the Caucasus, wrote a book called “Description of Colchis, now called Mingrelia.” The Mingrelians played a big role in the emergence of Georgian statehood, since it was they, in alliance with other tribes, who became the founders in the 2nd millennium BC. ancient Georgian kingdom of Egrisi.
The way of life of the Mingrelians is not too different from the way of life of their neighbors - Georgians and Abkhazians. They are as hospitable and emotional as most residents of Georgia, they are very musical, they love dancing and singing.
The main religion is Orthodoxy. Mingrelian believers belong to the Georgian Orthodox Church, but like all Georgians, in the absence of Georgian Orthodox churches, at their place of residence they attend churches that belong to other Local Orthodox Churches. Christianity first appeared in Megrelia in the 1st century AD. e., as a state religion - in the 4th century.
Who are the Megrelians?
The ethnogenesis of this people is full of mysteries that have yet to be revealed.
But we can say with confidence that the Megrelians are the descendants of the ancient Colkhians - a vanished civilization that the ancient Greeks sang in their chronicles.
Currently, Megrelia is a fabulous corner of Georgia.

Source: google.com; wikiwand.com