Gori Castle

Gori, Georgia

Gori Castle is a medieval citadel in Georgia, standing above the city of Gori on a rocky hill. The castle first appears in the 13th century records but archaeological evidence shows that the area had already been fortified in the last centuries BC. The fortress controlled major strategic and economic routes and accommodated a large garrison. In the 16th century the Ottomans captured it to overawe Tbilisi. In 1598 the Georgians besieged it to no avail; in 1599 they feigned a relaxation of the siege for Lent before launching a surprise attack at night to regain the citadel. The fortress continued to change hands between the Georgians and the Persians in the 17th century.

The citadel acquired the present-day form under the Georgian kings Rostom of Kartli in the 1630s and Erekle II in 1774. After the Russian annexation of Georgia in 1801, the fortress was garrisoned by a Russian grenadier battalion, but its importance gradually declined and the fortifications went defunct.

Gori Fortress was significantly damaged by the earthquake in 1920. The best preserved structure is Tskhra-kara ('the Nine-gated'), which looks to the west, and is adjoined by the supplementary walls on the south and east.

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Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Georgia

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

iMaxix 7 (3 years ago)
Nice view from up the fortress after a small, simple hike. There is not much left to from the fortress. Its basically just a big grass pitch and some walls. Still enjoyed going tho.
Steven Webb (3 years ago)
Free, path is well maintained, not to difficult to climb. View at the top is very nice. Windy, very windy. Nobody there on a weekday. A good diversion after museum visit. Certainly not worth it by itself. Note dogs everywhere. Well behave but they will follow you, sit with you. Cute if you like dogs, not so fun if you don't.
NataliiaK (3 years ago)
Steep ascend has been worth it! Lovely view up high in the sky amidst the history
Gašper Zupančič (3 years ago)
Its renewed up until the entrance. Inside the wall is only grass and a dog:) I was excpecting some info screens and so on. It has so much potential to develop turisticaly.
Greg Johnston (3 years ago)
Gori Fortress you can’t really miss it as the location is in the center of town on top of a hill. After stopping for a quick bite, we were off to find the entrance. Walking around the bottom of the hill we finally found a pathway that looked like it would take us to the entrance. There is no entrance fee to visit Gori Fortress. You walk up a staircase that leads you up to the gate where you enter. I’ll be honest there is not that much to see. The only visible signs of the fort are the walls, which are impressive. No buildings are within the walls of the Fortress, making it difficult to imagine what it may have looked like in its glory. The views from atop of the hill are truly incredible. You can see out over the city and far into the surrounding countryside. 3btraveler
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