Hirkhat Fortress, residence of eristano Abuseridze, what to see in Beshumi
How to build a fortress on top of an impregnable rock? Why should the Georgian feudal lords of the X century build a temple on the mountain? We will give answers to these, and not only, questions in the Madloba directory directory. Touch the history of Georgia, feel the greatness and beauty of the ancient people of the country!
Not far from the fortress Hihani, on the Batumi-Akhaltsikhe highway, 120 kilometers from Batumi The Beshumi resort is located. Beshumi is a village surrounded by mountains and coniferous forests (firs and pines) of the subalpine zone. The resort is known for its clean air and healing mineral springs.
The fortress of Khikhani, or as it is otherwise called the Hirkhat fortress, is located on the border of the istrian provinces of Georgia - Adjara and Shashveti, at the mouths of the rivers Shalt and Khikhanistskali, at an altitude of 2635 meters above sea level, on one of the branches of Mount Arsiani, near the village of highland Adjara Zeda Thilvana (Huloi municipality).
The Khikhanskaya fortress is a monument of the tenth century, but folk legend connects it with the name of Queen Tamara. For centuries, the fortress was the residence of local eristanos (Eristavi appanage princes, the title of Georgian feudal lords) – Abuseridze.
On the territory of the fortress stood their palace, which was protected by rectangular towers and a reliable fence. In the first half of the XIII century, on the instructions of the eristavs Abuser and Vardan, their brother Tbeli erected a stone church named after St. George on the territory of the fortress. Tbeli Abuseridze was a writer and astronomer. He wrote several scientific, artistic, historical and religious works. In one of them, he described the process of building a church, from where you can find out what difficulties the builders faced when they built a temple in such a remote place.
The fortress, located in a strategically advantageous location - on top of a steep, almost inaccessible cliff - covers an area of almost one hectare. Currently it is in a dilapidated state. Parts of the wall of the eastern and southern fences have been preserved. The remains of buildings of various purposes were found on the territory of the fortress: a bakery, a wine cellar, a church. In the center of the square of the fortress territory there is a large pit (well) with a diameter of 2 meters - a warehouse-cache for storing food.
In 2013, the restoration and conservation of the Khikhanskaya Fortress began and is currently continuing.
20 comments
Log in to leave a comment
серидзе.На территории крепости был дворец.В 13 веке построили церковь имени Святого Георгия.Сейчас там идут реставрационные и консер-
вационные работы Хиханской крепости.Просто поразительно, каким образом все это воздвигалось.
В труднодоступном месте Хиханская крепость– резиденция грузинских феодалов. В 13 веке один из них – писатель и астрономТбели Абусеридзе, написавший также религиозные труды – воздвиг церковь Святому Георгию.
Здесь есть дворец, защищенный прямоугольными башнями.