In ancient geography, Colchis or Kolchis (Georgian: კოლხეთი, Kolkheti; Greek: Κολχίς, Kolchís) was an ancient Georgian kingdom in the Caucasus, first settled by the Colchians in the Middle Bronze Age. Colchis was not simply in the geographic area of medieval and modern Georgia, but played an important role in the ethnic and cultural formation of the country, with the ancient kingdom laying important foundations for the medieval kingdom and the modern nation-state.
In Greek mythology the home of Aeëtes and Medea and the destination of the Argonauts, Colchis covered the present Georgian provinces of Mingrelia, Imereti, Guria, Ajaria, Svaneti, Racha, Abkhazia and the modern Turkey’s Rize, Trabzon and Artvin provinces.
The name "Colchis" first appears in Aeschylus and Pindar. The main cities were Dioscurias or Dioscuris (under the Romans called Sebastopolis, now Sukhumi) on the sea-board of the Euxine, Sarapana (now Shorapani), Phasis (now Poti), Pityus (now Pitsunda), Apsaros (now Gonio), Surium (now Surami), Archaeopolis (now Nokalakevi), Macheiresis, and Cyta or Cutatisium (now Kutaisi), the traditional birthplace of Medea.