I come from the kingdom of Qulha, along the shore of the Black Sea - you might know it better as Kolchis. In Greek mythology Kolchis was the home of of the mythical king Aeetes and Medea and the destination of the Argonauts; it was also the land where Prometheus was punished by being chained to a mountain. Amazons also were said to be of Scythian origin from Kolchis. Our history is eventful to say the least. The Kingdom of Kolchis was formed in the 13th century BC from a consolidation of the tribes inhabiting the region. Several provinces including our royal city of Ildemusa were lost to Urartu, then we were overrun by the Cimmerians and Scythians before coming under the Achaemenid Persian Empire towards the mid-6th century BC. Colonized by the Greeks, we were however situated just outside the lands conquered by Alexander the Great. After the fall of the Persian Empire, we retained a degree of independence until conquered by Mithradates VI of Pontus circa 101 BC. On the defeat of Mithradates in 65 BC, Kolchis was occupied by Pompey, then was briefly part of the Pontus and the Bosporan Kingdom again before both both Pontus and Colchis were incorporated in the Province of Galatia and later Cappadocia. A warm welcome awaits visitors to Kolkheti Sakhli, my residence in the Colchis Quarter of the Steppes.
