Ujarma: an Ancient Fortress City in Kakheti

In the village of Ninotsminda in the Sagarejo Municipality, stands a 6th-century cathedral. This complex tetraconch-style structure features four apses and four spaces between the apses, all enclosed by semicircular walls. It is the only cathedral in Georgia with such a design.

The historic village of Ujarama is located 22 kilometers from Sagarejo, on the banks of the Iori River. To the north of the village, on a rocky ridge, the ruins of a once-mighty fortress city remain. It was built in the 3rd-4th centuries on the site of an older fortress (2nd century BC).

Ujarma's rise to the political center of Kakheti was primarily due to its strategic location: the city linked the flatlands of eastern Georgia with the mountainous regions of Zhaleti and Mtsianeti, and the Ertso and Aragvi river valleys. According to the ancient Georgian historian Leonti Mroveli, Ujarma was founded by the last representative of the Parnavaz dynasty, King Apsagur (at the turn of the 3rd and 4th centuries). In the 4th century, Ujarma was the center of Kakheti. It was the residence of Prince Revi and his wife Salome. In the 5th century, Dachi, the son of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, was raised here. Vakhtang Gorgasali died here as a result of severe wounds in a battle with the Persians in 502.

It consists of two main parts. In the eastern part, on a steep slope, are the palace, the Church of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, and a large and small reservoir. The lower part of the fortress consisted of a fence and towers. A total of eight towers and a tower-type palace with arched doorways and windows were built into the fortress. Remarkably, such openings are found only in Ujarma. The city's main gate was located in the western fence, with a secondary gate in the southern fortress wall. The fence and towers, constructed using horizontal masonry of small rectangular stones, are particularly impressive.

The fortified city of Ujarma existed until the late Middle Ages. After the establishment of Mongol rule, the fortress gradually fell into disrepair.

Today, the fortress remains in ruins, where you can stroll and soak up the ancient history. Rest areas and observation platforms have been landscaped for tourists, along with trails and signposts.

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