An exceptional attraction of Georgia, the Narikala Fortress in Tbilisi is located between the sulfur baths and the botanical garden.
Throughout the history, the Narikala fortress in Tbilisi has been destroyed several times. For the first time this landmark of Georgia was attacked in the 7th century by the Byzantine wars. In the 13th century, the Tatar-Mongols made a devastating raid.
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Narikala Fortress - the most popular place among tourists and locals, today. Without exaggeration, Tbilisi would not be able to preserve its own exclusivity without Narikala. The pearl of ancient Tbilisi is rightfully awarded this attention among the guests and residents of the capital. The fortress is always beautiful and visible from all corners of Tbilisi, but a certain charm is revealed at night.
From its top there is a view of the beautiful Mtkvari, which further complements the natural beauty of both the fortress itself and the nature around. Narikala and the surrounding area can rightfully be called as the most beautiful places in Georgia. Also, close to the fortress there are other no less tempting sights of Georgia - Sulfur baths and a Botanical Garden.
History.
The exact date of the construction of the fortress is unknown, but in IV it already existed under the name “Shuris-Tsikhe". According to not completely reliable data, there is a belief that the castle has another name “Castle of Envy" as one of the variants of its original name. This place and the constructed structure is a remarkable example of Tbilisi's ability to defend itself.
The castle walls have different ages, the most dilapidated parts of the wall date back to the 4th century - the time when the citadel was part of the fortress of Persia. The walls on the tourist side of the building that welcome guests are approximately 8th century built, at that time there was a palace of Amir. Many locals often call this historical monument - “Mother Fortress". During the late feudalism, only the lower tower of the city fortress was called Narikala, but later this name was transferred to the entire fortress.
The fortress, as well as the city itself, has often been hit in their entire history. According to known data, the first aggressive attack on the fortress was made in 627, when the city was captured by Byzantine soldiers. A wayward period of time, the rule of the Tbilisi Emirate added fortress fortifications and weights that were supposed to add strength for possible-probable attacks in the future. At the same time, the periphery of the fortress received important improvements - the bastions were enlarged, the walls were lowered to the river.
In 1236, the capital was destroyed during the attack of Khorezm, which began to obey the Tatar-Mongols. The fortress received a more modern look in the XVII-XVIII centuries, but the explosion of gunpowder and the subsequent seismic shock in the warehouse in 1827 caused tragic damage to the fortress. By the 1980s, only some parts of the 16th-century Istanbul Tower and the skeleton of the tower fortification remained of the citadel, which were not so important for history. In 1996-1997, attempts were made to restore the former greatness of Narikala, the church of St. Nicholas, which stood on the territory of the fortress in the XII century, was restored.
Modern times.
Narikala offers its guests an exceptionally stunning panorama of the entire city, a more beautiful panorama can not be found anywhere else. There are two options to get to Narikala, while both options promise to be boring for you, each chosen path will be a small incredibly beautiful adventure for you. The first way involves walking, especially in warm weather, from the square, during which there is something to see in Georgia. The second way originates in Rike Park, where there is also something to do and admire.
There is an abundant variety of entertainment in the park, for a pleasant pastime - giant chess, insanely beautiful singing and dancing fountains, as well as, for lovers of silence, labyrinths and quiet nooks and cozy corners. For the many such interesting entertainments of the park, the main thing is not to forget to use the cable car - the second way to climb to the Narikala fortress. With a length of approximately 680 meters and a duration of only about 2 minutes, the cable car, although not for long, opens up the most beautiful places of Georgia and amazing views of the whole city. And due to the transparency of the cabin floor, everyone will get their share of unforgettable emotions. When leaving the booths, the guests of the citadel are greeted by a small trading platform where everyone can buy a memorable thing they like.
The entrances, exits and roads of the fortress have signs, so even if you visit this historical monument for the first time, it will be difficult for you to get lost. If you go to the western part of the fortress, you will meet a symbol of the reflection of the Georgian woman and the character of the Georgian soul - the “Mother of Kartli” is a monumental aluminum statue of a woman with a cup of wine in one hand for those who came as a friend, and in the other a sword for those who came here as an enemy. Also from the citadel of Narikali there is an exit to the botanical garden with a huge number of exhibits of vegetation numbering about 4,500 varieties and species, occupying approximately 161 hectares.
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