Psiti Fortress (Region of Kakheti)
Psiti Fortress (Georgian: ფსიტის ციხე) — Once an impregnable fortress, built on a high rocky cape in the Turdo Gorge (Georgian: თურდოს ხეობა), on the right bank of the Psitiani River (Georgian: მდინარე ფსიტიანი). The ruins of the fortress over the territory of the ancient city. From the architecture and relief it is easy to understand that the fortress and its surroundings have had an important function and significance for centuries, both in defensive and religious terms. Currently, the castle is in ruins, its internal structures are completely destroyed and only four towers and fragments of the wall remain from the fortress. The only way to the castle leads up a fairly steep hill, on both sides of which rocky cliffs rise. The main defensive wall is adapted to the complex rocky terrain. The towers of the fortress were connected to each other by walls and other auxiliary buildings. The fortress consists of layers of buildings from different periods. The early layer, made of square rubble stones, dates back to the V-VI centuries. However, with proper research, earlier layers can be found here.
The construction layers have shown that during its existence the fortress was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. Built on the northern spur of the Gombori Range(Georgian: გომბორის ქედი), the fortress in ancient times separated the region of Kakheti from historical Hereti(Georgian: ისტორიული ჰერეთი) and was a conventional border. During reconnaissance expeditions, the remains of the lower part of the fortress were discovered, the walls of which include a palace, a church and towers. In its design, the Psiti fortress practically repeats the relief layout of the Ujarma fortress (Georgian: უჯარმის ციხე) and, like Ujarma, it was most likely also a state fortification, and it is unlikely that it belonged to any local feudal lord. In the vicinity of the fortress, settlements from the late Bronze Age to the early Iron Age, a fence, processed flint, ceramics from the late Middle Ages, iron arrowheads and spearheads, etc. were discovered. As a result of studying the structures and artifacts found in this area, traces of continuous life in these places were recorded, starting from the Late Bronze Age and ending with the late Middle Ages.
Tetri Tsklebi village (Georgian: სოფელი თეთრი წყლები), Telavi Municipality (Georgian: თელავის მუნიციპალიტეტი)
