Kurta (village) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kurta
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Ghost Town Village
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| Country |  South Ossetia (de facto) Georgia (de jure) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (Georgian Time) |
| a. The town is still internationally recognized as a part of Georgia. | |
Kurta (Georgian: ქურთა; Ossetian: Курта) is an abandoned village in a region called South Ossetia, which is part of Georgia. Most people living there were Georgians. Kurta was one of the villages that stayed under Georgia's control after a conflict in the early 1990s and before another war in 2008. Today, no one lives there, making it a ghost town.
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What is Kurta Village?
Kurta is a village that is now empty. It is located about nine kilometers (about 5.6 miles) northeast of Tskhinvali. Tskhinvali is the main city in South Ossetia. Kurta sits on the right side of the Greater Liakhvi River. It is also on an important road called the Trans-Caucasus Highway. This road connects Tskhinvali with another town called Java.
Kurta's Role in the Past
In 2007, the government of Georgia decided to set up a special temporary administration. This administration was meant to help govern parts of South Ossetia that were still under Georgia's control. Kurta became the main office for this group. An Ossetian man named Dmitry Sanakoyev led this administration. The Georgian government also spent a lot of money, about 1.85 million Georgian lari (Georgian money), to improve the village's buildings and services.
What Can You Find in Kurta?
Kurta and the areas around it are part of a special protected zone. This zone is called the Greater Liakhvi Valley Museum-Reserve. In Kurta itself, there is an old church. This church is from the Middle Ages and is a Georgian Orthodox church. It is dedicated to St. George.
Why is Kurta a Ghost Town?
Before a conflict began in 2008, all the Georgian people living in Kurta had to leave their homes. They moved to other parts of Georgia that were safe. Sadly, after they left, most of their empty houses were destroyed. The homes were never rebuilt. Because of this, the people who used to live there could not return. This is why Kurta is now an empty, destroyed village, known as a ghost town.
