Photo credit: Vardzia, Georgia, MIR Travel
3 Writers That Helped the World Discover the South Caucasus
Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan Through the Lenses of World-class Writers
Long before guidebooks and digital maps, explorers crossed the South Caucasus with notebooks in hand. They wrote about royal courts, mountain monasteries, busy caravan routes, vineyards, markets, and everyday conversations that caught their attention along the way.
Some arrived as merchants. Others came as diplomats or authors. Together, their observations created lasting portraits of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Walk through Tbilisi’s old streets, stand beneath the stone walls of Armenian monasteries, or enjoy tea in Azerbaijan, and you’ll discover scenes that still reflect their observations.
Georgia Through the Eyes of Jean Chardin
French jeweler and traveler Jean Chardin, in his famous travelogue, The Travels of Sir John Chardin into Persia and the East-Indies, through the Black-Sea, and the Countrey of Colchis, described everyday life and political events of Georgia so carefully that historians continue to consult his writings. His descriptions of Tbilisi, Kakheti, royal ceremonies, churches, and wine culture remain among the most detailed European accounts of seventeenth-century Georgia.
Chardin was especially struck by Georgian hospitality. He wrote that guests were received generously and noted the important place that shared meals and wine held in social life. Experience Georgia’s hospitality firsthand on MIR’s small-group tour, A Taste of Georgia.
Armenia Through the Eyes of H. F. B. Lynch
Irish explorer and parliamentarian H. F. B. Lynch studied monasteries, landscapes, villages, and the lives of the people he met in Armenia. His observations, in his classic two-volume work Armenia: Travels and Studies, accompanied by photographs and maps, created one of the most complete English-language accounts of Armenia before the twentieth century transformed the region. Lynch often wrote about the Armenian people’s determination to preserve their churches, language, and traditions. Join us on a small-group tour, Treasures of the South Caucasus, and see the intertwined yet distinct culture of the three nations.
Azerbaijan Through the Eyes of Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas explored Baku before the great oil boom transformed it into one of the South Caucasus’s leading energy centers. Dumas enjoyed observing daily life as much as famous landmarks. In his book Travels in the Caucasus, he wrote about long meals, tea, lively conversations, and the customs of the people he met, presenting Azerbaijan as a place where merchants, travelers, and local communities crossed paths every day. Plan a private Journey to the South Caucasus with MIR’s travel advisors.
Save $400 with MIR’s 40th Anniversary Offer
If your 2026 travel plans are already shaped, this is also a good time to look ahead for 2027. As MIR marks its 40th anniversary, you can reserve your 2027 journey now and save $400 per person on selected journeys as part of our anniversary offer.
