Narikala Fortress (Old Tbilisi, Georgia): how to get there, description

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Recently, Georgia has become very popular with tourists. Tourism in this country is developing quite rapidly. Many people go to Batumi, others go to Tbilisi. In the last city there is a famous fortress. This fortress is located in the southeastern part of Tbilisi. Old Town - this is the name of this area of the city. When and how did this fortress appear? Let's find out now.

History

The Narikala fortress in Tbilisi is already mentioned in the ancient chronicles of the fifth century. For more than a thousand years of history, one of the most famous Georgian citadels has been destroyed more than once, but it was restored again.

The fortification in 627 was captured by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius. Later, around the beginning of the eighth century, the Narikala fortress fell under the rule of the Arabs, which lasted about four centuries. Then it became the center of the Georgian kingdom. Initially, the fortress was called Shuris-Tsikhe, which means "Enviable" in translation. During the Mongol invasion, the invaders called the citadel Naryn-Kala, which means Small Fortress. However, other scholars argue thatin translation, it means "Prickly Fortress" or "Thistle Fortress". Its location was very successful, because on three sides the fortress was surrounded by impregnable rocks. Later, she was named Narikala, which translates as "Impregnable." Since the owners of this fortress have changed several times over the centuries, the building that has come down to our times appears before the eyes of tourists as an example of Arab architecture.

During the reign of the Arabs, a canal was brought to this fortress of Georgia, which made it possible to irrigate gardens and vineyards. Especially luxurious were those located on Mount Mtatsminda. But by the end of the nineteenth century, they were gradually abandoned, because the price for watering was too high for those times. The channel turned out to be unclaimed and therefore also fell into decay.

Description of Narikala Fortress (Tbilisi, Old City)

The fortress has survived a lot of destruction. But the citadel received the most severe damage not from the siege weapons of the enemies, but from nature. In 1827 there was a strong earthquake. Its consequences had a disastrous effect on the defense structure.

At the very beginning of the twentieth century, Belgian engineers built a funicular that functioned properly for about a hundred years. Sixteen years ago, its cable broke and, unfortunately, has not been restored to this day.

The fortress is a kind of ancient Kremlin, but without richly decorated palace premises. This building served onlydefensive functions. The powerful walls of the fortress, on the construction of which the best craftsmen of this region worked for many centuries, have tower structures with an interval of several meters. On one of the corners there is a fort, which seems to be hidden in an ambush behind the greenery of trees and shrubs.

Earlier it was the Shakhtakhti tower, which housed a real observatory. Nowadays, an observation deck has been built near its walls, from which a magnificent panorama of the old city opens. The fortress was being built all the time. And if at the very beginning of its construction, underground passages were led to the Kura River, which is located at the bottom of the fortress, then gradually the walls of the castle building were completed lower and lower until they came close to the river. At the bottom of this building is the tower of the Ganja Gate. It is infamous for being the place where criminals accused of high treason were executed. The unfortunate were simply thrown from this tower into the abyss.

Temples

On the way to the fortress there are Orthodox churches. These are two churches: Lower Bethlehem and Upper Bethlehem, as well as the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, built in the eighteenth century.

The thousand-year-old Narikala fortress fascinates with its grandeur. The steps, dilapidated by time, give a unique charm to the ancient structure. You can see this ancient attraction at any time of the day. When it gets dark, an unusual yellowish backlight turns on. Here everything around takes on a fabulous, magical look.

FortressNarikala is a place where newlyweds like to arrange photo shoots. For the convenience of tourists who climb to it, there is a very cozy and fashionable restaurant "Narila Hill". It offers both delicious local cuisine and stunning scenery.

Church of Saint Nicholas

On the territory of the fortress there is a very old church of St. Nicholas. Scientists claim that it was built in the twelfth century. Inside the temple building there are unique frescoes, peculiar illustrations for some biblical subjects. They also depict scenes from the history of Georgia.

"Soul" Tbilisi

The Narikala Fortress, which seems to rise above the city, is poetically called the soul and heart of Tbilisi. It symbolizes the spirit of the Georgian people.

In addition to the fact that tourists can enjoy the view of the ancient fortress, climbing it, they can also admire other sights of Tbilisi. Luxurious avenues and streets of the city, the presidential palace, the botanical garden and so on can be perfectly seen from the walls of the castle building.

How to get there?

How can I get to Narikala Fortress in Tbilisi? How to get better? You can get to the fortress by bus number 124. There is another option. You need to take the funicular from Rike Park.

The cable car ride to the castle takes only a few minutes. But the hiking route is especially interesting. A beautiful road leads from Mtatsminda Park to the fortress. Its length is about five kilometers. The road that is on boththe sides are equipped with comfortable railings, located in the shade of trees. Near it come across benches where you can relax and move back on the road. On the way, you can admire not only the beauties of nature, but also see the monument "Mother Georgia". This is a monumental structure depicting a woman with a sword in one hand (for enemies) and a cup of wine in the other (for friends). The monument was built for the 1500th anniversary of the city in 1958. The height of the monument is twenty meters. At first it was erected from wood. And five years later it was replaced by aluminum.

George's Church

Several years ago, the church of St. George was erected in the fortress, but it was built on the foundation of an ancient temple. The ancient cathedral was completely destroyed due to the fact that about two hundred years ago it was converted into a gunpowder warehouse. And the aforementioned earthquake contributed to the fact that the church was completely destroyed.

While in the fortress, tourists can climb the ancient walls, but this is undesirable. Because one wrong move can lead to a fall from a great height.

Conclusion

Now you know about Narikala Fortress (Georgia). Tourism in this country is developing tremendously fast. Such attractions sometimes become the reason why people choose Georgia for their holidays.