Mestia is located in the Svaneti region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
province (mkhare), some 128 kilometres (80 miles) northeast of the
regional capital of Zugdidi. Mestia and the adjoining 132 villages
form Mestia District (raioni).
Historically and ethnographically, Mestia has always been regarded a
chief community of Zemo, or Upper Svaneti province. It was formerly
known as Seti. The population is mostly Svans, a cultural and
linguistic subgroup of the Georgians. Despite its small size, the
townlet was an important centre of Georgian culture for centuries and
contains a number of medieval monuments, such as churches and forts,
included in a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Mestia is served by the Queen Tamar Airport, which is operated by the
state-owned company United Airports of Georgia, since 2010.
The townlet is dominated by stone defensive towers of a type seen in
Ushguli and Mestia proper ("Svan towers"). A typical Svan fortified
dwelling consisted of a tower, an adjacent house (machubi) and some
other household structures encircled by a defensive wall.
Unique icons and manuscripts are kept in Mestia
Historical-Ethnographic Museum. Mestia is also a centre of
mountaineering tourism.