Ancient Nokalakevi (Samgrelo Region)
The fortress town of Nokalakevi (Georgian: ნოქალაქევი) is a historical fortress town in western Georgia, the capital of the historical kingdom of Egrisi (Georgian: ეგრისი), the site of the legendary city of Aia, where, according to legend, the Argonauts sailed. In this place, since ancient times, there was a Georgian city, which the Greeks called Archeopolis (Georgian: არქეოპოლისი), however, in older Georgian chronicles, the city was known under the name Tsikhe-Goji (Georgian: ციხე-გოჯი). According to historical chronicles, in the 3rd century BC, the eristavi of Egrisi Kuji (Georgian: ქუჯი) founded a city that soon became the capital of the kingdom of Lazeti (Lazika) (Georgian: ლაზეთი, ლაზიკა), i.e. all of western Georgia.
Nokalakevi is surrounded by a 3 km long fence, occupies an area of 19 hectares and consists of three parts: the lower town, the central fortress and the citadel. The settlement of the townspeople was located on the river bank, the garrison was fortified on the slope, and the citadel of the fortress on the mountain (4 hectares). On the territory of the lower town there are palaces, Christian churches, baths, reservoirs, tunnels and other types of agricultural or fortification buildings. Crypts-tombs of the pagan period were discovered, where the buried had a coin in the mouth – the Colchian tetri (Georgian კოლხური თეთრი). A tunnel connecting the city with the river was built at a particularly high architectural level, which, in addition to the water supply, also served as one of the (river) gates of the city. The powerful fortification system of Nokalakevi, which has no analogue in the Caucasus, deserves special mention.
Jikha village(Georgian: სოფელი ჯიხა), Senaki Municipality (Georgian: სენაკის მუნიციპალიტეტი)
