Recently very popular with touristsbecame Georgia. Tourism in this country is developing rapidly. Many people go to Batumi, while others go to Tbilisi. In the latter town is located the famous fortress. This fortress is located in the south-eastern part of Tbilisi. Old Town - this is the name of this area of the city. And when and how did this fortress originate? Now we find out.
History
About the Narikala fortress in Tbilisi is already mentioned inancient annals of the fifth century. For more than a thousand-year history, one of the most famous Georgian citadels was destroyed more than once, but it was restored again.
Fortification in 627 wascaptured by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius. Later, around the beginning of the eighth century, the Narikala fortress fell under Arab rule, which lasted about four centuries. Then it became the center of the Georgian kingdom. Initially, the fortress was called Shuris-Tsikhe, which means “Enviable”. During the Mongol invasion, invaders called the Naryn-Kala citadel, which means Small Fortress. True, other scholars argue that in translation this means "Prickly fortress" or "Thistle-like fortress." Its location was very successful, because on three sides the fortress was surrounded by impregnable rocks. Later it was called Narikala, which translates as "unattainable." Since over the centuries, the owners of this fortress have changed several times, the structure that has come down to our times appears to tourists as a model of Arabic architecture.
Во времена правления арабов к данной крепости Georgia was brought channel, which allowed irrigate gardens and vineyards. Especially luxurious were those that are 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 was unclaimed and therefore also fell into disrepair.
Description of Narikala Fortress (Tbilisi, Old Town)
The fortress survived a lot of destruction.But the citadel received the strongest damage not from siege weapons of enemies, but from nature. In 1827, there was a strong earthquake. Its consequences have a detrimental effect on the defense structure.
В самом начале двадцатого века бельгийские engineers built a funicular, which functioned well for about a hundred years. Sixteen years ago, his cable broke and, unfortunately, has not been restored to this day.
The fortress is a kind ofancient Kremlin, but only without the richly decorated palace premises. This structure served only defensive functions. The powerful walls of the fortress, the construction of which for many centuries worked the best masters of this region, with an interval of several meters have tower structures. At one of the corners is the fort, which seemed to be hiding in ambush for the green of trees and shrubs.
Ранее это была башня Шахтахти, в которой 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 tunnels 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. She is notorious for being the place of execution of criminals accused of treason. The unfortunate were simply thrown from this tower into the abyss.
The temples
On the way to the fortress, Orthodox churches are located. 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 of Narikala fascinates with itsgreatness. Half-destroyed stairs give a unique charm to the ancient structure. You can explore this ancient landmark at any time of the day. When it gets dark, an unusual yellowish light comes on. Here, everything takes on a fabulous, magical look.
Narikala Fortress is a place where lovearrange photo shoot newlyweds. For the convenience of tourists who make the ascent to it, there is a very cozy and fashionable restaurant "Narila Hill". In it you can enjoy and delicious local cuisine, and stunning scenery.
Church of St. Nicholas
The fortress is very oldChurch of St. Nicholas. Scientists claim 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 rises above the city, is poetically called the heart and soul of Tbilisi. It symbolizes the spirit of the Georgian people.
In addition, tourists can enjoy the viewthe most ancient fortress, having climbed on it, they can admire plenty of other sights of Tbilisi. From the walls of the castle building you can clearly 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 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 climb the funicular from Rica Park.
Подъем по канатной дороге к замку займет всего A couple of minutes. But especially interesting is the hiking route. From the park Mtatsminda to the fortress is a beautiful road. Its length is about five kilometers. The road, which is provided with comfortable 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 beauties of nature, but also explore the monument "Mother - Georgia". This is a monumental building 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 made of wood. And after five years, replaced by aluminum.
George's Church
A few years ago, a church was built in the fortressSt. George, 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 powder warehouse. And the above 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. Since one wrong movement can lead to a fall from a great height.
Conclusion
Now you know about the fortress Narikala (Georgia).Tourism in this country is developing tremendously fast. Such sights sometimes become the reason why people choose Georgia for their holidays.
