Batonis Tsikhe (King Erekle II Museum) (Region of Kakheti)
Batonis Tsikhe (King Erekle II Museum) (Georg. ბატონის ციხე). It served as the residence of Kakhetian Kings of the 17-18th centuries. Its territory embraces: the fence (constructed under the king of Kakheti Erekle II in 1753), Royal Palace (constructed in the 60-ies of XVII century by king Archil; in 1865 women’s college of St. Nino opened in this building and the Palace was remade into a three-level building; today – Telavi museum), bath (in southern part bathing room and boiler are preserved; walls of the bath were painted), and two churches (Small Church and Church of the Court of Erekle II, built in 1758, the latter being simultaneously a defence facility – it has gun emplacements).
To the south-west from thr citadel, in tens of meters there is a big abutment (diameter – 14 m). Up to the forties of the XIX century a big 7,5 m length cannon stood on it. At present there is established house-museum of King Erekle II, the Ethnographic Museum and the Picture Gallery. The museum houses King Erekle’s belongings and along with them: numismatic collection, early medieval sarcophagus, late medieval armor, and collections of XVII-XIX c.c. cooper household objects, weapons, Khevsuretian (East Georgian mountainous region) clothes. It is said that King Erekle II was born and died in the south-east part of the castle.