Surami Fortress (Region of Shida Kartli)
Surami Fortress (Georgian: სურამის ციხე) – The settlement on the site of Surami existed as early as the Bronze Age. Pliny the Elder mentions a settlement called Surium on the border of Colchis and Iberia, probably identified with Surami. In the Middle Ages, Surami, located at the strategically important pass, was transformed into a powerful fortress, which is still the main attraction of these places. Among all the fortresses of national importance in Georgia, one of the first places has always been occupied by the Surami fortress. The fortress was erected at the junction of the most important highways and for centuries retained the function of the most important fortification point. This was largely due to its strategic location – the castle is located at the junction of two main roads; One goes to western Georgia through the Likhi passes, the other to the south through the Borjomi valley.
And whoever occupied this important strategic point had the keys to the most important highways of the Caucasus. The exact date when and who built the Surami Castle is unknown. According to Georgian historians of the 19th century, Surami and its fortress were built in the first half of the 2nd century by King Farnajomi, 200 years before the birth of Christ. It is believed that the fortress was built on this site at the very beginning of the era of mature feudalism, when the eristavstvo of Surameli arose in Georgia. The fortress occupied a large territory and consisted mainly of the upper and lower fortresses. The upper fortress is located on a high rocky hill, and the lower one adjoins it from the south, east and west. Almost nothing remains of the lower fortress, but the upper fortress has been preserved quite well and is therefore one of the important tourist sites.
Surami village (Georgian: დაბა სურამი), Municipality of Khashuri (Georgian: ხაშურის მუნიციპალიტეტი)
