The history of Georgia in cities. The residence of the Imeretian kings is Ambrolauri. A city with an ambiguous history. Square with a bottle.

Ambrolauri, a city with an ambiguous history, especially in terms of names, is the center of winemaking in the Racha-Lechkhumi region, the birthplace of one of the most famous varieties of wines, Khvanchkary. One of the attractions of the city is the monument to Khvanchkare.

It is installed on the ring road in the city and is a giant bottle with a height of about 18 meters. Sometimes this place is called as "the square with a bottle". There is another square in Ambrolauri, which is defined as the Main One.

There are four factories in the Ambrolaursky district that produce Khvanchkara. Excursions are organized for tourists, during which you can taste the products of the enterprise. The first documentary mention of Ambrolauri is attributed to the 17th century. It was at that time that the city had the status of the residence of the Imeretian kings.

Since then, not so many buildings have survived to the present day. A small tower and an old church, accessible to tourists. In Stalin's times, Ambrolauri was named after the famous party leader Yenukidze for a very short time. But after he fell into disgrace, by the way, for the cause, the city was returned to its former name.

Outside the city, within 6-10 kilometers, you can find various historical monuments. On the bank of Rioni, 8 km from Ambrolauri, there is the Barakoni Temple, built in 1753. It is considered a late construction, not at all ancient. If you compare it with other historical monuments.

But the Minda Fortress, a construction of a completely different scale. The first mention of it dates back to the 10th century. But it is quite possible that she appeared long before that. The structure itself is located on a high rock of volcanic origin.