Archaeological site of Tsitsamuri (Sevsamora) (Region of Mtskheta – Mtianeti)
Tsitsamuri (Sevsamora) old settlement (Georgian: წიწამურის (სევსამორას)ნამოსახლარი) – According to historical materials, the site of the Tsitsamuri (Sevsamora) settlement was inhabited since the middle of the first millennium BC. Tsitsamuri was part of “Didi” (big) Mtskheta (Georgian: დიდი მცხეთა) and was possibly connected to it by a bridge. So far the only thing that can help in finding the remains of the settlement is the map-scheme of Vakhushti Bagrationi (Georgian: ვახუშტი ბაგრატიონი), which shows the location of the settlement rather approximately. On the map of Sevsamor it is depicted as a fortified structure on top of some hill. One structure is located opposite the Bebristsikhe fortress (Georgian: ბებრისციხე ). A little to the north there is another fortress. The walls are built on both sides of the Aragvi River (Georgian: არაგვი). The part that is located on the left bank goes up the mountain. Perhaps this is the Saguramo ridge (Cargo.საგურამოს ქედი).
From the few historical sources we can only learn that near the modern village of Tsitsamuri, located northeast of Mtskheta, which the Greek geographer and historian Strabo identifies with Sevsamora, the ruins of an ancient Iberian acropolis were discovered. Presumably, these are the remains of Zadentsikhe (Georgian: ზადენციხე), literally: “Fortress of Zadeni” – which, like Armazistsikhe (Georgian: არმაზციხე), is named after one of the gods of the Iberian pantheon. At the moment, it is difficult to say whether the names Sevsamora and Zadentsikhe refer to the same fortress. Or they are different structures. Strabo points to the existence of two fortress towns near Mtskheta: Armazika (Georgian: არმაზიკა) and Sevsamor (Armazi and Tsitsamuri). The fortress of Tsitsamuri (Sevsamor) (IV-V centuries BC) was one of the military fortifications of the capital. It protected the city from the northern nomads penetrating from the valley of Dariali (Georgian: დარიალი) and Aragvi. The fortresses of the individual districts of “Didi” (big) Mtskheta, together with the fortress of Sevsamor, constituted a single defense system of the capital.
Village of Tsitsamuri (Georgian: სოფელი წიწამური), Mtskheta Municipality (Georgian: მცხეთის მუნიციპალიტეტი)
