Dartlo Architectural Reserve (Region of Tusheti)
The high mountain village of Dartlo (Georgian: სოფელი დართლო ) – One of the most beautiful and colorful villages of Tusheti ((Georgian: თუშეთი). An original and unique place in terms of culture, history and architecture. Mysterious, fabulous, amazing, extraordinary are some of the words that come to mind when seeing this traditional village in the mountainous region of Georgia. Located at about 2000 meters above sea level, is a fairly well-preserved set of historical buildings. It is rare to find a village where so many cultural heritage monuments have been preserved in such a small area – Defensive towers with residential complexes, Akldamy (Crypts), Ritual and Church buildings. In the center of the village, 12 stone benches for judges have been preserved to this day, which were presided over for 10 years by a woman famous for her eloquence and intelligence.
Petroglyphs have been recorded on crypts and medieval towers. These images of astral content, as researchers say, are connected with the ancient beliefs of the Tushin people. The medieval towers are definitely of special interest. It is estimated that there are only six of them in the village. All of them are built of slate slabs with dry masonry. Two of them are of later construction, narrow, quadrangular, with conical tops, and stand in the center of Dartlo. The other four outside the village boundary, on the other side of the stream, are of older origin. They are wider and appear to be more solidly built than the first two. Houses with covered balconies and extra storage space (for non-perishable food items or survival equipment) are another type of accommodation in the village.
Dartlo Village (Georgian: სოფელი დართლო), Akhmeta Municipality (Georgian: ახმეტის მუნიციპალიტეტი)
