Ethno Village Sisatura- Window into Traditional Samegrelo 

A trip to an ethno village is a great way to escape the bustle of the capital and encounter the region’s past and preserved traditions. Ethno village Sisatura is a rural tourist destination that reflects a part of history and allow visitors to get a personal look in Samegrelo's life. 

Sisatura is a business concept with a three-acre area. With three different zones, the first zone includes the cognitive zone, which presents all types of residential and ancillary buildings typical of Megrelian life. You can enjoy the recreation area by the lake, and use the third zone for agro activities. The visitor will get acquainted with the Megrelian culture, traditions, history, will be able to relax by the lake, take a walk, watch the preparation of Megrelian dishes and try them, and listen to local folk music.

We asked Marika Todua, the founder of Sisatura, how she got started: 

‘’I have been working in the field of tourism since 2012, I had a hotel business and at the same time, I was hosting tours around Samegrelo. When I hosted tourists in our rural home, their emotions and impressions, interest in our culture and ethnography was the main motivator and source of inspiration. Later, I decided to arrange a small Samegrelo in my own yard, where we presented the culture, history, and traditions of our region. We worked on the concept for a long time, however, many considered my idea to be non-pragmatic. Most importantly, my family and close friends had trust in me. I was trying to get a grant to implement a business idea, but it didn’t work. It took us several years to gather the necessary resources, we started construction in 2018 and in July 2019, the doors of "Sisatura" were officially opened for guests,’’-said Marika Todua. 

They have a ritual of greeting and farewell at Sisatura, as well as certain rules of the table, same as Supra, toasts uttered by Tamada, which leaves no one indifferent.

Marika thinks that every region of Georgia has its own characteristic and different culture, traditions, rituals, which makes the country very attractive for tourists. However, ethno-tourism products are scarce in some regions and need to be promoted.

At this stage, Sisatura receives the guests who enjoy the full tour package only by pre-order, but they plan to have an open door at the kitchen in the future available for anyone. There are different types of events and festivals in Sisatura that founders plan to further develop.