AKHALTSIKH, N,'Kal-tsiKi. The chief town of a district in the government of Tiflis, Russian Armenia, about 95 miles west of Tiflis. and 1450 miles by rail southeast of Moscow, on the banks of the Posklmv-Tchai, an affluent of the Nor (Map: 'Russia, E 6). It is situated in a valley of the Keldir Mountains, 3376 feet above the sea level. By the river running through it, the town is divided into the old town and citadel, on the left hank, and the new town on the right. The town is not surrounded by walls, for the citadel is considered sufficient protection, it being very strong and built on an almost inaccessible rock. The climate is salubrious, although the winters are very severe and the summers exceedingly hot. The surrounding scenery presents a view of wild, rugged beauty, enhanced by the numerous gar dens encircling the town. The mosque of Sultan Ahmed, built on the model of St. Sophia in Con stantinople, has a library attached to it which was accounted one of the most valuable in the East; hut the Russians carried off a great part of its most valuable treasures to St. Petersburg.
Some manufactures, especially of the smaller arms and weapons, are carried on in the town, and it maintains an active trade with various places on the Black Sea. Sonic 16 miles to the northwest of the town are the well-known Abas Tumansk mineral springs. Deposits of lignite are also found in the neighborhood. Akhaltsikh was anciently called Keldir or Chaldir. Once a considerable mart for trading in Christian slaves, it has since its occupation by Russia. become a Christian town, SO per cent. of its population being Armenians and 10 per cent. Jews. It is the seat of an archbislloprie of the Greek church. In 1828, when the Russians took possession of it, it had a population of 50,000, but it has been decreasing ever since, so that at the time of the taking of the last census, in 1897, there were only 15,300 inhabitants.