Pankisi; Kists; Sufism; Wahhabism; rural tourism

During the Second Chechen war, groups of Chechen fighters crossed the Caucasus Mountains and found a refuge in Pankisi Gorge, inhabited by the Kists. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Georgian government practically lost control over the gorge and the Chechen fighters even became the target of Russian bombing. However, after the Rose revolution, Saakashvilis?s government has re-established control over Pankisi. In 2009, Polish Aid financed a project of the association of Pankisi women aimed at the development of agro-tourism in the gorge. By now, the number of tourists arriving in the gorge is still only dozens per year; however, for the isolated community even such small flow of tourists is challenge to their traditions and habits. The paper, based on two field trips to the gorge (2010, 2011, involving observations and interviews) shows the role international tourism plays for the community.