Mdzovreti Fortress (Shida Kartli Region)
Mdzovreti Fortress (Georgian: მძოვრეთის ციხე) – Mdzovreti Fortress is located on a high and inaccessible mountain ridge. It controlled the road from Shida Kartli to South Georgia. The fortress was one of the well-fortified and impregnable defensive structures, which was especially emphasized by Tamerlane’s historians. Situated in the gorge of the Dzama River (Georgian: ძამა), it is surrounded by forested mountains on one side and deep gorges on the other. The sources mention two versions of the name Mdzovreti and Mzovreti. The fortifications were erected in different periods, from the early to the late Middle Ages. Three building layers were discovered in the fortress.
The architectural complex consists of several well-preserved buildings from the 17th century: a fortress church, a palace of local feudal lords, a defensive tower and a bell tower. Mdzovreti is also the name of the historical medieval city located here, which was once one of the important political and economic centers of the Kartli Kingdom. If we turn to etymology, we find out that the name Mdzovreti comes from the expression “place for zueri”, which, in turn, means a customs place. In the remaining historical information, we can read that the city was located at the junction of three roads: Shida, Kvemo and Zemo Kartli. In the 19th century, local residents left this place and the city ceased to exist. Now within the walls of Mdzovreti is the Ortubani Convent (Georgian: ორთუბნის მონასტერი).
Ortubani Village (Georgian: სოფელი ორთუბანი), Kaspi Municipality (Georgian: კასპის მუნიციპალიტეტი)