“Guardian Village” Population: 250
Old name: Merya/Meriya/Miriya
The village of Veliköy, near Savşat, is a funny mix of dull concrete houses and lovely old wooden cabins that the owners probably think too impractical for modern life. Come here in winter to watch bouts of kar güreşi (snow wrestling), a sport otherwise known only in Switzerland. The wrestling takes place in January or February, and wrestlers come from all over Turkey but also from nearby Georgia too. If you’ve ever seen traditional oil wrestling, it’s very similar, just with added snow.
Veliköy is said to have been founded by a handful of Kyrgyz families. The “Veli” of the place name is said to be a nod of recognition towards Veysel Karani, a follower of the Prophet Mohammed.
Veliköy is the closest village to the Şavşat Meşeli Karagöl National Park and its isolated hotel.
Sleeping
Şavşat Karagöl Hotel. Tel: 0466-531 2029
Transport info
There is one dolmuş a day from Şavşat to Veliköy and on to the pension. It leaves mid-afternoon and returns very early in the morning (too early for breakfast) but times are often adversely affected by knock-on traffic problems caused by dam-building work near Artvin.
