Khertvisi Fortress is one of the oldest fortresses in Georgia and was functional throughout the Georgian feudal period. It is situated in the Meskheti region. This old stone castle is located near the Paravani and Mtkvari rivers, on a tall rocky mountain in Javakheti.
According to legend and history, Alexander the Great visited the city and the fortress during his eastern conquests.
During the Ottoman expansion in South Georgia in 1578, Arfaksand, the son of Lotham, fortified Khertvisi along with another fortress.
Khertvisi was reconstructed several times, with an early medieval building layer noticeable. The fortress consists of the citadel and the wall. The citadel stands on the narrow edge of a rocky mountain. Water was supplied to the fortress from the northeastern side.
The fortress appears to emerge from the cliff, making it difficult to discern where one ends and the other begins. The interior of the fortress is divided into sections, with a small hall-type church and remains of other buildings within.
The Khertvisi Fortress
According to the chronicle, Khertvisi was once a town, with the last mention in the second half of the 18th century. The current Khertvisi Fortress was presumably built in the 10th and 11th centuries. The fortress was temporarily reclaimed from the Turks by King Erekle II, during which a large amount of valuables and goods were evacuated from the fortress.
