The best ancient sights in Georgia. Ushguli, Svan Tower.
Ushuli is a district in Georgia with interesting landscapes that look good from a height. Fragments of a twelfth-century fortress, churches, more than thirty fortress houses and much more have been preserved here. The Svan Tower is a common structure built of cobblestone and stone. Usually the height of the tower reaches twenty-five meters, which is quite impressive.
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Ushguli- the most extreme district is Zemo Svaneti, which unites several villages. It is located on the southern slopes of the Central Caucasian watershed, in the valley of the Tsaneri River (the right tributary of the Inguri River), at an altitude of 1600-2200 meters above sea level. According to these indicators, it is the highest settlement in Europe.
Ushguli is located in a cauldron-shaped, well-protected valley. In the relief of its surroundings, river floodplains and terraces, gentle and steep slopes stand out. The amount of precipitation reaches 1200 mm, which is very convenient in the existing geographical conditions. Fir and beech forests dominate on the slopes of the northern exposure, and secondary and subalpine meadows dominate on the southern exposure.
Ushguli there are several types of landscapes that completely correspond to the high-altitude zonality. The landscape of the mixed forest looks especially impressive, in the lower tier of which there is an undergrowth of evergreens. It is replaced first by high-altitude forest, then alpine and subalpine meadows, subnival and nival landscapes.
Fragments of the XII century fortress, several churches, more than thirty fortress houses and religious buildings have been preserved in Ushguli. Fortress houses are mostly the oldest monuments of the IX-X century. Ushguli has the status of a monument of world cultural heritage, protected by UNESCO.
Svan Tower - a common defensive structure in Svaneti, consisting of 4-6 floors and covered with a gable roof. Svan towers were built of cobblestone and rubble stone. Basically, the height of the tower was 20-25 meters. The entrance to the tower is usually on the second floor. The floors are connected by a portable wooden staircase located in the interior. On the top floor of the tower there is a combat platform with loopholes. Some Svan towers are adjacent to residential buildings (murkvami), some stand separately.
Svan fortress houses, consisting of three floors, unlike towers, are lower and more massive. The first floor was used for housing and as a stall for livestock. II Floor - for household needs; III - attic and was used for defensive purposes (e.g. Chazhashi tower).
In Svaneti there is a "Tower of Love", with which a legend is connected: the daughter of a noble swan had a groom who went to war. The girl promised to wait for him and not get married. The young man died on the battlefield. The girl did not believe in the death of her lover and was waiting for him. To make it easier for his daughter to wait, the father built a tower by the road, in which the girl spent her whole life waiting for her beloved.
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Как в этом районе с электричеством, в хорошем ли состоянии автодороги, и проходимы ли они в течении всего года?
Если Ушгули - памятник под защитой ЮНЕСКО, значит ли это, что древние исторические башни и другие постройки будут своевременно реставрироваться, или, наоборот - больше бюрократии и сложнее заниматься непосредственно объектами защиты?
Сванская башня – оборонительное сооружение, построенное из булыжника и камня. В Сванети находится «Башня любви», меня особо впечатлила легенда о этой башне.