GAGI FORTRESS

Gagi fortress

Gagi Fortress (Region of Kvemo Kartli)

Gagi Fortress (Georg. გაგის ციხე) – located on the overlooking the beautiful valley of the Debeda River, in the central part of Kvemo Kartli. The first mentions of the fortress appear in historical chronicles in the 11th century. However, archaeological excavations indicate that even before the modern construction, another fortress was located on this site. During the late Middle Ages, the Gaga Fortress guarded a strategically important highway connecting Georgia with the Middle East and Iran. Over time, the defensive significance of the castle weakened, and today the Gaga fortress has retained only a shadow of its former glory.

Although most of the fortress lies in ruins, there are some interesting architectural elements. The 15th century wall is marked by several circular towers, including a circular citadel at the southern entrance to the fort. Archaeological excavations in the older part of the fortress have unearthed a large amount of glazed ceramics typical of the 11th-12th centuries. Fragments of ceramics dating back to the Eneolithic, Early Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age were discovered on a hill near the fortress, which indicates that people have inhabited these lands for thousands of years.

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