Rabati Castle

Akhaltsikhe, Georgia

Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe, Georgia, was originally established in the 9th century as the Lomisa Castle. It was completely rebuilt by Ottomans. Most of the surviving buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries.

According to the Georgian Chronicles the city was established in the 9th century by Guaram Mampal, son of the King of Tao. From the 13th to the end of 14th centuries it was the capital city of Samtskhe-Saatabago, ruled by the Georgian princely (mtavari) family and a ruling dynasty of the Principality of Samtskhe, the House of Jaqeli.

In 1393 the city was attacked by the armies of Tamerlane. Despite the Turko-Mongol invasions fortress withstood and continued to thrive. After the Treaty of Constantinople in 1590, the whole territory of Samtskhe-Saatabago went under the rule of Ottoman Empire. Turks Mostly used to build defensive edifices. In 1752 first mosque was built in Rabati.

Metropolitan John writes in the late 18th century that 'despite the fact that a large part of the population has been Islamized, there's still a functioning Orthodox church'. After the Treaty of Georgievsk between the Kingdom of Kartli and the Russian Empire was signed, the question of the fate of Akhaltsikhe arose. The first attempt to take the fortress in 1810 failed. Prince Paskevich successfully stormed the fortress 18 years later, in the great Battle of Akhalzic. After the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829, the Ottomans yielded part of Akhaltiske Region.

The fortress and its adjacent buildings were extensively rebuilt and renovated in 2011-2012 in order to attract more tourists to the area.

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Akhaltsikhe, Georgia
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Details

Founded: 9th century AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Georgia

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

HANEENA N (3 months ago)
It is a historical fortress. Entry fee is 18 lari per head. The place is nice to see. If we walk up, nice scenery from the top.
A E (4 months ago)
Its like disney fairytale, recomended if go to georgia to visit this place. The mosque and church is boring, but the view is breathtaking.
Ekaterine (Catherine) (5 months ago)
The fortress dates back to 9th century however it has been renovated too much maybe because you won’t feel the oldness of the fortress. I would also recommend to read some history before coming before it’s not written everywhere. The fortress is still beautiful in my point of view and you can see Akhaltsikhe from the top. Definitely not the culture heritage you would expect but I still recommend coming here. Both mosque and church are both the most boring. Not sure why many are so excited about them.
Chi Kit Wong (5 months ago)
Newly renovated complex with restaurants, shops and clean toilets near the entrance Worth a visit if you're in the area Practically empty apart from 4-5 tourists when we visited during an October weekday just before noon.
Andrea Moro (6 months ago)
Well maintained fortress, for the greatest part rebuilt, but that truly shows how the Georgians are keen on welcoming visitors. The visit to the fortress is payable, 18 GEL. The rest can be visited for free. The whole environment is spot on, enriched with beautiful gardens, pools and fountains. We spent a good hour and a half for a peaceful visit with barely any tourists.
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