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

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 south-eastern part of Tbilisi. The old city is the name of this area of the city. And when and how did this fortress come into being? Now we'll find out.

History

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 repeatedly been destroyed, but it was restored again.

The defensive structure in 627 was seized by the Byzantine emperor Irakli. Later, around the beginning of the eighth century, the Narikala fortress fell under the domination of the Arabs, which lasted about four centuries. Then it became the center of the Georgian kingdom. At first the fortress was called Shuris-Tsikhe, which in translation means "Enviable". During the Mongol invasion, the invaders called the stronghold of Naryn-Kala, which means the Small Fortress. However, other scientists say that in translation this means "Prickly Fortress" or "Thistle Fortress". Its location was very fortunate, since on three sides the fortress was surrounded by inaccessible rocks. Later, she was called Narikala, which translates as "Unapproachable." Since the owners of this fortress have changed several times over the centuries, the structure that has survived to our times appears before the eyes of tourists as an example of Arab architecture.

During the reign of the Arabs, a canal was channeled to this fortress in Georgia, which allowed watering the gardens and vineyards. Especially luxurious were those that are on the mountain Mtatsminda. But by the end of the nineteenth century they were gradually abandoned, as the price for irrigation was too high for those times. The channel was unclaimed and therefore also declined.

Description of the fortress Narikala (Tbilisi, Old Town)

The fortress survived a lot of destruction. But the stronghold of the citadel was not derived from the siege weapons of enemies, but from nature. In 1827 there was a strong earthquake here. The consequences of his disastrous impact on the defense structure.

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

The fortress is a kind of an ancient Kremlin, but only without richly decorated palace premises. This structure performed only defensive functions. The powerful walls of the fortress, over which the best masters of this region worked for many centuries, have tower structures at intervals of several meters. At one of the corners is a fort, which seemed to hide in the ambush behind the greens of trees and shrubs.

Previously, it was the Shahtahti tower, which housed a real observatory. Now its walls have an observation deck, 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 to the river Kura, which is located at the bottom of the fortress, led underground tunnels, then gradually the walls of the castle structure were being built lower and lower until they came close to the river. In the lower part of this building there is a tower of the Ganja gate. It is notorious for being the place of execution of criminals accused of high treason. The unfortunates 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 fortress Narikala bewitches with her greatness. Doubtless steps add a unique charm to the old building. You can see this ancient landmark at any time of the day. When it gets dark, an unusual yellowish light turns on. Here everything around becomes fabulous, magical.

The Narikala fortress is a place where newlyweds like to organize photo sessions. For the convenience of tourists who make an ascension to it, there is a very cozy and fashionable restaurant "Narila Hill". In it you can enjoy delicious dishes of local cuisine, and stunning scenery.

Church of St. Nicholas

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

"Soul" of Tbilisi

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 enjoy other sights of Tbilisi. From the walls of the castle building you can perfectly see the magnificent avenues and streets of the city, the presidential palace, the botanical garden and so on.

How to get there?

How can I get to the Narikala fortress in Tbilisi? How to get better? You can reach the fortress by bus number 124. There is another option. You need to climb the funicular from the park of Riquet.

It takes only a few minutes to climb the cable car to the castle. But the walking route is especially interesting. From the park Mtatsminda to the fortress is a beautiful road. Its length is about five kilometers. The road, which is equipped with convenient railings on both sides, is in the shade of the trees. Near it there are shops where you can relax and move again. On the way you can admire not only the beauty of nature, but also to examine the monument "Mother Georgia". It is a monumental structure depicting a woman with a sword in one hand (for enemies) and a bowl of wine in the other (for friends). The monument was built to the 1500 anniversary of the city in 1958. The height of the monument is twenty meters. In the beginning it was erected from a tree. And five years later replaced with aluminum.

Church of St. George

Several years ago the church of St. George was built in the fortress, but it was built on the foundation of an ancient church. The ancient cathedral was completely destroyed due to the fact that about two hundred years ago it was converted into a powder depot. And the above-mentioned earthquake contributed to the fact that the church was completely destroyed.

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

Conclusion

Now you know about the fortress of Narikala (Georgia). Tourism in this country is developing tremendously fast. Such sights sometimes cause why people choose Georgia for their holidays.