Tmogvi Fortress is a citadel located near the village of Tmogvi, Aspindza Municipality, in the Samtkhe-Javakheti Region of Georgia. The name "Tmogvi" is believed to be derived from the Georgian word mogvi, meaning "pagan priest."

The fortress is situated on top of a vast rocky massif on the left bank of the Mtkvari River, also known as the Kura River. Ascending the cliff and reaching the ruins is not easy, but if you are up for an adventure, your efforts will be rewarded with astonishing views of the surrounding gorge.

Although the construction date of the fortress is unknown, Tmogvi Fortress is first mentioned in 10th-century sources. The fortress was built to control and defend the ancient trade route between Javakheti Plateau and a gorge formed by the Kura River. An 11th-century Georgian historian narrates that in 914, the Arab commander Abu al-Qasim invaded eastern Georgia and Samtskhe-Javakheti. He also tried to gain control over Tmogvi Fortress but failed.

In the late 10th and early 11th centuries, the fortress came under the direct control of the unified Kingdom of Georgia. In 1073, King George II bequeathed the fortress to the recalcitrant feudal lord Nyania Kuabulisdze, whose family was killed in an earthquake in 1089. Throughout the ensuing centuries, Tmogvi Fortress was ruled by various feudal families, including the Torels, Mkhargrdzelis, Shalikashvilis, and Jakels.

In 1576-1578, ongoing clashes among the Meskhetian aristocracy were carried out under the leadership of the warring leaders Shalikashvili and Manuchar Atabagi. The war was marked by a fierce battle in the Tmogvi area, controlled mainly by Shalikashvili. Manuchar Atabagi raided the city of Tmogvi, along with other Georgia fortresses and outposts, and won control of the citadel. In 1578, the Ottomans entered Samtskhe, and Manuchar Atabagi surrendered Tmogvi to Lala-Pasha, after which it became part of the Ottoman political-administrative unit of Akhalkalaki Liva.

After the Russo-Ottoman War in 1828-1829, the Ottomans ceded Tmogvi Fortress and other Georgian territories to Russia by the 1829 Treaty of Adrianople. During the 18th century, the population of Tmogvi decreased. Its old glory faded, and according to the Georgian royal prince, geographer, historian, and cartographer Vakhushti Batonishvili (1696–1757): "Tmogvi was a city, but now it is a small town." Due to the effects of time, wars, the elements, and several strong earthquakes, the fortress now lies in ruins and requires extensive restoration.

On November 7, 2006, Tmogvi Fortress was inscribed on Georgia's Immovable Cultural Monuments of National Significance list.

In 1953, an 11th-century Byzantine copper coin was accidentally discovered in the northwestern corner of Tmogvi Fortress and bequeathed to the individual who found it. In 1962, a copper coin bearing the image of Byzantine Emperor Constantine 9th (1042-1055) was also found unexpectedly near the Tmogvi ruins and is now kept in the Georgian National Museum. These discoveries highlight the strong trade ties the Georgian people once had with the Byzantine Empire.

Tmogvi Fortress, like many castles in Georgia, is built on a tall, rocky mountain. Sprawled across 3 hills, it is bordered by walls that vary in height due to the uneven landscape. The fortress is inaccessible from the south and southwest.

On the top of the hill are the ruins of the stronghold. To the west, fortress walls line the sloping cliff, the middle wall built for combat purposes. The southeastern walls lean into a cave where a secret tunnel connects the castle with the river, providing water access during a siege. The Georgia castle has two entrances, one from the south and one from the north, with a connecting ridge to the western and eastern valleys.

Several remnants may be found inside the fortress, including ruined towers atop the cliffs, fragments of 13th-century frescoes, and a quadrangular building made of tuff and sitting on a basalt foundation believed to have been a church. Outside the walls on the western side are the ruins of the church of Saint Ephrem.

#georgia #samtkhe-javakheti #tmogvi #fortress #castle #river #caves #4k #dji #drone #quadcopter #aerial #cinematicvideo #adventure #travel #history #heritage #architecture #medieval #cultural #tourism #outdoors #adventure

свернуть