// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Birtvisi Fortress say to its wall? "You're a rock solid friend
| Birtvisi Fortress | |
|---|---|
ბირთვისის ციხე | |
| Birtvisi Natural Monument, Tetritsqaro Municipality, Kvemo Kartli, Georgia | |
-1.jpg) Sheupovari tower in 2011 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Fortress |
Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Location | |
  Birtvisi Fortress Location within Kvemo Kartli  Birtvisi Fortress Location within Georgia | |
| Coordinates | 41°36′32″N 44°32′21″E / 41.60889°N 44.53917°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 10th century |
Official name | ბირთვისის ციხე |
| Designated | November 7, 2006 |
| Reference no. | 1772 |
Item number in the Cultural Heritage Portal | 6613 |
Date of entry in the registry | October 3, 2007 |
Birtvisi Fortress (Georgian: ბირთვისის ციხე), commonly known as Birtvisi (ბირთვისი), is a ruined medieval fortress within the Birtvisi Natural Monument in Tetritsqaro Municipality, Kvemo Kartli, Georgia. It occupies a naturally defensible rocky massif on the southern slopes of the Trialeti Range, near the villages of Tbisi and Partskhisi. The medieval structures, defensive walls and rock-cut steps form part of the natural and historical complex protected by the natural monument.[1][2]
Description
[edit]
Birtvisi is a naturally fortified rocky complex covering approximately 1 km2 (0.39 sq mi). Inaccessible cliffs and narrow passages were supplemented by defensive walls, towers and a gateway that controlled access to the interior.[3] The surrounding massif consists primarily of Eocene porphyrites and tuff breccias.[2]
The surviving remains include defensive, residential and utility buildings, a reservoir and several towers. The most prominent tower, known as Sheupovari (Georgian: შეუპოვარი, “Obstinate” or “Dauntless”), stands on the highest rock in the complex.[3] Various ancillary structures, including an aqueduct, have also survived.[4]
One of the customary approaches to the fortress begins near the village of Tbisi. A path through a rock passage known as the “Devi's Footprint” leads towards the main fortress complex.[5]
History
[edit]The date of the fortress's construction is unknown. In written sources, Birtvisi is first mentioned as a possession of the Arab amir of Tiflis, from whom it was taken by the Georgian nobles Liparit, Duke of Kldekari, and Ivane Abazasdze in 1038.[6] In medieval Georgia, Birtvisi had a reputation as an impregnable stronghold whose holder could control the strategically important Algeti valley.[3]
The Turco-Mongol ruler Timur captured the fortress during one of his invasions of Georgia in 1403.[7] His soldiers climbed the cliffs at night using rope ladders and entered the fortifications. The surviving defenders were captured and executed.[8]
Following the fragmentation of the Kingdom of Georgia in the 15th century, Birtvisi lay within the Kingdom of Kartli and belonged to the princely Baratashvili family.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ ბირთვისის ბუნების ძეგლი [Birtvisi Natural Monument] (in Georgian). Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- 1 2 Technical Regulation – Management Plan for Algeti National Park, Dashbashi Canyon Natural Monument, Birtvisi Natural Monument and Samshvilde Canyon Natural Monument (PDF) (Report) (in Georgian). Government of Georgia. 9 November 2020. p. 6. Retrieved 2 August 2026 – via FAOLEX.
- 1 2 3 ბირთვისი [Birtvisi]. Georgian Encyclopedia (in Georgian). I. Abashidze Main Scientific Editorial Office of the Georgian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- 1 2 Zakaraia, Parmen (2001). საქართველოს ციხე-ქალაქები, ციხესიმაგრეები, ციხე-დარბაზები, ციხე-გალავნები, კოშკები [Fortified towns, fortresses, fortified residences, walls and towers of Georgia] (in Georgian). Tbilisi. pp. 86–88.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ↑ "Birtvisi Fortress". Georgia Travel. Georgian National Tourism Administration. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ Thomson, Robert W. (1996). Rewriting Caucasian History. Oxford University Press. p. 289. ISBN 0-19-826373-2.
- ↑ Allen, William Edward David (1932). A History of the Georgian People: From the Beginning Down to the Russian Conquest in the Nineteenth Century. Taylor & Francis. p. 125.
- ↑ ბირთვისის ციხე [Birtvisi Fortress]. Dzeglebi.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 2 August 2026.
External links
[edit]- Birtvisi in the Georgian Encyclopedia
- Birtvisi Natural Monument at the Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia
