Places away from cities in Georgia. Barakoni and Khotevi Temple.

It was built by Avtandil Shulavereli in 1753 by decree of the Rachinsky eristavi (ruler) of Rostom. The temple is built of hewn stone and richly decorated with carved ornaments. In 1991, after the earthquake, the restoration of the temple was carried out.

Khotevi is a village on the northern slope of the Rachinsky ridge, 10 km away. from Ambrolauri, at an altitude of 1000 m. above sea level. This village was first mentioned in the source "Records of Nikortsminda" (XIv.). Due to its location on the road connecting Imereti with Kvemo Racha, Khotevi was an important trading post. In the XVII century, Russian ambassadors Alexey Ievlev and Nikifor Tolchanov mention Khotevi among the cities of Imereti. In the XIX century . Khotevi was the center of the Rachinsky district. The Archangel Church and the ruins of the fortress have been preserved in the village.

XVI-XVII centuries. There is a legend about the name of the village: one of the Imeretian kings settled Tsulukidze princes in this place, who built a church here. Upon completion of the construction of the fortress , the tsar visited Tsulukidze and asked: "Ho tevihart? (Do you fit in this fortress?)". after that, they called the fortress "Hotevi", then the name spread to the whole village. Currently, the fortress has been destroyed. It was two-storied, was surrounded by a fortress wall. In the remaining part of it there are loopholes. The fortress was impregnable and its capture was very difficult.