Historical Sites

 

Shatili

 

Shatili is a historic highland village in Georgia, near the border with Chechnya. It is located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus mountains, in the historical Georgian province of Upper Khevsureti, which is now part of the modern-day region (mkhare) of Mtskheta-Mtianeti.

Located in the deep Arghuni gorge at approximate 1,400 meters, the village is actually a unique complex of medieval-to-early modern fortresses and fortified dwellings of stone and mortar which functioned both as a residential area and a fortress guarding the northeastern outskirts of the country. The fortress consists of the terraced structures dominated by flat-roofed dwellings and some 60 towers which cluster together to create a single chain of fortifications.

Gonio

 

Gonio fortress is a Roman fortification in Adjara, on the Black sea, 15km south of Batumi, at the mouth of the Chorokhi river. The village sits 4km north of the Turkish border.

The oldest citing of the fortress belongs to Plinius Secundus (1st century AD). In the 2nd century AD it was a well-fortified Roman city in Colchis. It later fell under Byzantine influence. The name "Gonio" is first attested in Michael Panaretos in the 14th century. There's was also a short-lived Genoese trade factory there. In 1547 Gonio was taken by Ottomans, who held it until 1878, when, via the San-Stephano Treaty, Adjara became part of the Russian empire. The town was also known for its theater and hippodrome.

Additionally, the grave of Saint Matthias, one of the twelve apostles is speculated to be in Gonio fortress. However, the Georgian government currently prohibits digging near the gravesite. Other archaeological excavations are taking place on the grounds of the fortress, focusing on Roman times.

Gonio is currently experiencing a tourism boom. Most tourists come from Tbilisi in the summer months to enjoy beaches that are generally regarded as cleaner than Batumi's beaches (located 15km to the north).

Dmanisi

 

Dmanisi is a townlet and archaeological site in Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia approximately 93 km southwest of the nation’s capital Tbilisi in the river valley of Mashavera.

The town of Dmanisi is first mentioned in the 9th century as a possession of the Arab emirate of Tbilisi, though the area had been settled since the Early Bronze Age. An Orthodox Christian cathedral – “Dmansis Sioni” – was built here in the 6th century. Located on the confluence of trading routes and cultural influences, Dmanisi was of particular importance, growing into a major commercial center of medieval Georgia. The town was conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the 1080s, but was later liberated by the Georgian kings David the Builder and Demetrios I between 1123 and 1125. The Turco-Mongol armies under Timur laid waste to the town in the 14th century. Sacked again by the Turkomans in 1486, Dmanisi never recovered and declined to a scarcely inhabited village by the 18th century.

Extensive archaeological studies began in the area in 1936 and continued in the 1960s. Beyond a rich collection of ancient and medieval artifacts and the ruins of various buildings and structures, unique remains of prehistoric animals and humans have been unearthed. Some of the animal bones were identified by the Georgian paleontologist A. Vekua with the teeth of the extinct rhino Dicerorhinus etruscus etruscus in 1983. This species dates back presumably to the early Pleistocene epoch.

The discovery of primitive stone tools in 1984 led to increasing interest to the archaeological site. In 1991, a team of Georgian scholars was joined by the German archeologists from Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, and later the U.S., French and Spanish researchers.

The fascinating fossil hominin skulls and jaws described as Homo georgicus were found at Dmanisi between 1991 and 2005.

Subsequently, four fossil skeletons were found, showing a species primitive in its skull and upper body but with relatively advanced spines and lower limbs, providing greater mobility. They represent a stage soon after the transition between Australopithecus and Homo erectus, and have been dated at 1.8 million years before the present.

Dadiani Palace

 

Dadiani was a Georgian family of nobles, dukes and princes, and a ruling dynasty of the western Georgian province of Samegrelo

The first data about the family dates back to 1046. Presumably, the Dadiani descended from a certain Dadi, of the House of Vardanisdze. Appointed as hereditary eristavi (dukes) of Odishi (Samegrelo) in reward for their military services, the family had become the most powerful feudal house in western Georgia by the 1280s. At that time, the branches of the family governed also Svaneti and Guria.

In 1557, Duke Levan I Dadiani became hereditary Prince (mtavari) of Mingrelia and established himself as an independent ruler. His descendant Prince Levan III Dadiani was forced to abdicate in 1691 and Dadiani’s relatives from the Chikovani family inherited the title of Princes of Mingrelia and the surname of Dadiani. Accepting Russian sovereignty in 1802, the Dadiani were elevated to the dignity of Prince of the Russian Empire and enjoyed significant independence in their home affairs. Niko Dadiani, the last Prince of Samegrelo was deposed and his principality was abolished by the Russian government on January 4, 1857. Prince Niko Dadiani officially renounced his rights to the throne in 1868.

Ushguli

 

Ushguli or Ushkuli is a community of villages located at the head of the Enguri gorge in Upper Svaneti, Georgia. Ushguli comprises four villages:

Zhibiani some 2100 m above sea level
Chvibiani or Chubiani
Chazhashi or Chajashi Murqmeli

The Ushguli villages contain buildings that are part of the UNESCO Heritage site of Upper Svaneti. Altitude claims for Ushguli villages vary from 2086 to 2200 metre and it is sometimes referred to as the highest village in Europe.

It is located at the feet of Shkhara one of the higher Caucasian summits. About 70 families (about 200 people) live in the area and there is a small school. For 6 months of the year snow covers the whole area and often the road to Mestia is closed. Typical Svanetian protective towers are found throughout the village. The Ushguli Chapel located on a hilltop near the village dates back to the twelfth century.

Narikala

 

 Narikala is an ancient fortress overlooking Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and the Kura river. The fortress consists of two walled sections on a steep hill between the sulphur baths and the botanical gardens of Tbilisi. On the lower court there is the recently restored St Nicholas church.

The fortress was established in the 4th century as Shuris-tsikhe (i.e., "Invidious Fort"). It was considerably expanded by the Umayyads in the 7th century and later, by king David the Builder (1089-1125). The Mongols renamed it "Narin Qala" (i.e., "Little Fortress"). Most of extant fortifications date from the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1827, parts of the fortress were damaged by an earthquake and demolished.