The most beautiful places of Georgia - Ancient Khirkhat fortress in Adjara
Khirkhat fortress in Adjara, one of the brightest sights of Georgia, which is located on a high mountain, in one of the most beautiful places in Georgia...
Go to the main outpost of mountainous Adjara⬇️
- Myths and legends of the fortress of Hihani
- How to get to the fortress of Hihani
Of all the sights of Georgia, which belong to the category of cultural, historical and architectural monuments, the fortress of Khikhani is the most inaccessible. It is located at an altitude of more than 2600 meters, on the top of the mountain of the same name. There are many myths and legends in the history of this fortress, and the exact time of its construction is still unknown. Various sources mention the time period from the 10th to the 13th century.
The pirate fortress in Adjara is not just a fortification, the walls of which are complemented by several towers. At the time of its full functionality, the fortress in Hihani was a small town located on an area of one hectare. In addition to towers, walls and other military buildings on the surface of the earth, two churches were erected at different times within the Hirkhat fortress, one of which is the Church of St. George, of which there are many on the territory of Georgia.
There were also various household buildings. An example of one of these is a bakery. However, only the foundation remains of it, which was discovered during excavations. Archaeological expeditions were sent to the Hirkhat fortress several times. The time layers were studied in order to accurately establish the centuries of construction. However, despite all the efforts of archaeologists, the exact date has not been established. During the very first expedition to the fortress of Hihani, four vessels for storing wine - "kvevri" were discovered.
The next layer, related to a later time, presented researchers with more than forty vessels in which the defenders of the fortress of Hihani stored water, preparing for a long siege and repelling enemy attacks. Of particular interest are the ancient towers of the legendary fortress - they consisted of several floors, as clearly evidenced by the traces of overlaps left in some places.
There are several versions as to who built this miracle of Georgian medieval architecture. One of them says that representatives of the princely family of Abuseridze were engaged in the construction of the fortress of Khikhani. Moreover, the construction was started by Tbeli Abuseridze - he later died in a battle with the Turks, and his wife, Magula Abuseridze, completed the construction of the outpost. The second version of the construction of the Hirkhat fortress - it was built by Queen Tamara.
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Myths and legends of the fortress of Hihani
There is no documentary evidence that there were underground tunnels within the fortress, but there are still assumptions and legends about their existence. They laid them in order to be able to avoid a collision with the enemy if the surrender of the fortress and defeat was inevitable.
Despite the fact that the fortress is located in an extremely inaccessible place, it managed to be under the control of the invaders. According to one of the legends, a certain queen did not have time to escape from the enemies who captured the fortress and preferred death to shame by drinking poison that she always had with her in such a case.
How to get to the fortress of Hihani
For an excursion to the fortress of Hihani, it makes sense to allocate at least a couple of days. In this case, you will not have to hurry anywhere and there is an opportunity to enjoy the fantastic views that will open up for you from the top on which the fortress is located.
The best time of the year to visit is summer. Ideally - if the weather is dry and not hot. From Batumi you need to get to the village of Baibaki. Further along the dirt road you can drive by car - a distance of about 4 km. However, this will require an SUV. Otherwise, you will have to walk. The next stage is about a kilometer of the way, the height difference is 1800 - 2200. The last leg of the journey is the most difficult.
We will have to climb a rather steep slope, physical training will be required. The path itself goes along a wooded mountain slope. The height difference will be 450 meters. Do not forget to take your documents with you - the fortress is located almost at the border. And the presence of a camera is strictly mandatory, otherwise you will simply be forced to come back here again.
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