Akhmetoba in Georgia: dates, meaning and how to experience it

By Mariam Lomidze, GTour desk · Fact-checked against the sources listed · Last checked 25 October 2026 · Editorial policy

What it is

Akhmetoba is the annual city day of Akhmeta, a market town in Kakheti that serves as the lowland gateway to the Tusheti highlands. The name follows a common Georgian pattern in which the suffix -oba turns a place name into the name of its feast day, exactly as Tbilisi‘s autumn festival is called Tbilisoba and the Alaverdi Monastery’s autumn feast is called Alaverdoba. The day is also known locally as Bidzinaoba, “the day of Bidzina,” after Bidzina Cholokashvili, one of three Georgian noblemen whose feast in the church calendar falls on the same date.

Two layers of commemoration meet on 1 October. The Georgian Orthodox Church marks the feast of the Holy Martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar, three 17th-century Kakhetian leaders venerated for refusing to renounce Christianity under Persian pressure. Akhmeta municipality overlays this with a secular town festival of food, wine, music and sport. Those who celebrate include the residents of Akhmeta and nearby villages such as Alvani, Orthodox pilgrims who attend the liturgy, and the Tush people, transhumant highlanders from Tusheti who historically winter their flocks on the plain around Akhmeta and return for the festival.

Historical background

• 6th century — according to Georgian ecclesiastical tradition, Christian monastic life is established near Akhmeta by one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, laying the groundwork for the nearby Alaverdi Monastery.
• Medieval period — Akhmeta grows as a market town linking lowland Kakheti with the highland communities of Tusheti, Pshavi and Khevsureti across mountain passes.
• 1659 — the Bakhtrioni uprising breaks out in Kakheti, a revolt by Georgian nobles and highland militias against Safavid Persian rule and the forced settlement of Turkic tribes in the region.
• 1661 — according to Georgian hagiographic tradition, uprising leaders Bidzina Cholokashvili and the brothers Shalva and Elizbar Eristavi are captured and tortured to death for refusing to convert to Islam, during the reign of the Safavid shah Abbas II.
• 17th–18th century — veneration of the three as martyrs spreads among Kakhetian and mountain communities as symbols of resistance to forced conversion.
• 1921–1991 — under Soviet rule, open religious commemoration of the martyrs is suppressed; Akhmeta’s town day continues chiefly as a secular harvest and culture festival.
• 1991 — with the restoration of Georgian independence and the public life of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the feast of Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar is again openly marked with liturgy.
• Today — Akhmeta municipality holds Akhmetoba every 1 October, combining a Divine Liturgy for the martyrs with a civic festival of Tush and Kakhetian food, wine and folk performance, often supported by the Ministry of Culture and local government.

The Bakhtrioni uprising is remembered in Georgian history as a rare coordinated rebellion in which lowland Kakhetian nobility and highland militias from Tusheti, Pshavi and Khevsureti fought together against an occupying power. Its failure, and the brutal punishment of its leaders, did not erase its memory; instead, the deaths of Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar became a reference point for loyalty to both homeland and faith, retold in church hymnography and popular memory alike.

The dual name of the festival, Akhmetoba and Bidzinaoba, reflects this layered history. One name belongs to the town and its agricultural calendar, the other to the church and its martyrology. Over the centuries, the two have fused into a single October gathering that is at once a religious feast day and the secular high point of the Akhmeta year, when villages from the surrounding Alazani valley and the Tusheti diaspora converge on the town.

Meaning and traditions

The day typically opens with a Divine Liturgy in Akhmeta’s parish church attended by local families, clergy and visiting pilgrims, followed by a procession and the laying of flowers or candles in memory of the martyrs. The religious observance then gives way to a town fair: a central square filled with stalls of food and crafts, folk ensembles performing Georgian polyphonic singing, and displays of horsemanship reflecting the equestrian traditions of the Kakhetian and Tush herding economy.

Food is central to the day. Tush families, who winter their sheep flocks around Akhmeta and the nearby village of Alvani, bring guda, a hard cheese matured inside a stitched sheepskin sack, alongside Tush-style khinkali and mountain breads. From the Kakhetian lowland side comes mtsvadi (grilled meat skewers), churchkhela, and wine drawn from qvevri, the large egg-shaped clay vessels used for traditional Georgian fermentation, a method recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Supra, the ritual feast table, is led by a tamada, or toastmaster, who proposes toasts honoring the martyrs, ancestors and guests, often answered with the word “alaverdi,” a traditional call passing the right to speak to the next person at the table.

Music is inseparable from the gathering. Polyphonic singing, Georgia’s distinctive multi-voice choral tradition inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List, is performed by local ensembles, sometimes alongside perkhuli round dances and highland dance forms associated with Tusheti and Pshavi. Regional variation is part of the festival’s character: Tush participants bring pastoral dress, cheese and songs tied to Tusheti’s high valleys, while Kakhetian hosts contribute the viticultural traditions of the Alazani valley, making Akhmetoba a meeting point of lowland and highland Georgia rather than a single uniform ritual.

When it happens

Akhmetoba is fixed to 1 October each year on the civil calendar, corresponding to 18 September on the Julian calendar still used by the Georgian Orthodox Church for its liturgical cycle. In 2026 the feast fell on 1 October; the next observance is Friday, 1 October 2027. The day is not a national public holiday in Georgia, so government offices, banks and most businesses nationwide operate normally; in Akhmeta itself, however, shops and schools may adjust hours around the church service and the afternoon festival, and the town center is closed to traffic during the procession and fair.

Where to experience it

The festival centers on Akhmeta’s main square and parish church, roughly ninety minutes by road from Tbilisi through the Kakhetian wine country around Telavi. Morning is given to the liturgy and procession; by midday the square fills with food stalls, wine tables and craft vendors; afternoon brings concerts and dance performances, and evening often closes with communal feasting. Visitors attending the church service should dress modestly, with women covering their heads and shoulders, and should remain quiet and respectful during the liturgy, photographing only where permitted. At the supra tables, guests are generally welcome to join if invited by a host, and should expect to receive and return toasts rather than drink independently of the group.

Did you know

• The suffix “-oba” is used across Georgia to name feast days after places or people, as in Tbilisoba (Tbilisi’s day) and Alaverdoba, the neighboring monastery’s own autumn festival.
• Akhmeta is the historic lowland wintering ground for the Tush people, transhumant shepherds whose summer home is the high valleys of Tusheti.
• Bidzina Cholokashvili, Shalva and Elizbar Eristavi are venerated as martyrs for refusing to abandon Christianity under Safavid Persian pressure in the 17th century.
• Georgian polyphonic singing, regularly performed at town festivals such as Akhmetoba, is recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
• Qvevri, the clay vessels used to ferment the wine served at the festival table, are themselves the subject of a separate UNESCO cultural heritage listing.

Practical tips for visitors

Akhmeta is reached by car or marshrutka from Tbilisi via Telavi, a drive of roughly two to two and a half hours depending on route and traffic; the nearest international airport is Tbilisi International Airport. Early October weather in Kakheti is generally mild by day and cool after sunset, so layered clothing is advisable, along with comfortable shoes for standing through the fair. Accommodation in Akhmeta itself is limited, so visitors often base themselves in Telavi and book guesthouses well ahead, especially since the festival coincides with the region’s grape harvest season. GTour arranges a private driver or guide for the day for visitors who prefer not to navigate rural roads and parking restrictions independently.

Combine it with

Akhmeta sits within Kakheti, Georgia’s principal wine region, and is the natural staging point for trips into Tusheti’s high valleys later reopened each summer. The festival pairs well with a visit to the Georgian Military Highway region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, or with the mountain scenery and monasteries of Kazbegi, for travelers comparing Georgia’s eastern highland cultures in a single journey.

Questions travellers ask

Is Akhmetoba a public holiday in Georgia?

No. It is a local municipal and religious observance in Akhmeta, not a nationwide non-working holiday. Government offices and businesses elsewhere in Georgia operate as usual on 1 October.

What is the difference between Akhmetoba and Alaverdoba?

Akhmetoba is Akhmeta town’s own city day, tied to the feast of the martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar on 1 October. Alaverdoba is a separate, larger feast later in September honoring the founding of the nearby Alaverdi Monastery.

Can visitors attend the church service?

Yes, the liturgy is open to the public. Visitors should dress modestly, keep a respectful distance during the service, and ask before photographing inside the church.

What food should I try?

Look for Tush guda cheese matured in a sheepskin sack, Tush-style khinkali, grilled mtsvadi, churchkhela and Kakhetian qvevri wine, all typically available at festival food stalls.

How do I get to Akhmeta from Tbilisi?

By car or shared marshrutka via Telavi, the journey takes roughly two to two and a half hours. A private driver removes the need to navigate festival-day road closures around Akhmeta’s center.

Is the festival suitable for children?

Yes, the daytime fair with music, dance and food stalls is family-friendly; only the morning liturgy requires the quiet behavior exp

Sources

• 3. Akhmeta municipality city day coverage