Partskhisi Fortress (Region of Kvemo Kartli)
Partskhisi Fortress (Georgian: ფარცხისის ციხე ) – The fortress is located on a high hill, in a strategically convenient place and controlled the valley of the Algeti River (Georgian: ალგეთი ). The first mentions of the Partskhisi Fortress are found in the chronicles of the 11th century, although it must have been built much earlier. According to researchers, this happened in the 9th-10th centuries. Interestingly, the remains of a much more ancient wall, at least 3 thousand years old, were discovered on the same hill. For the builders of the castle, its inaccessibility, it seems, was not of decisive importance and the main thing was the strategically chosen location. The castle was located on one of the main roads of Kvemo Kartli and performed an important function, controlling the region’s trade routes.
The fortress consisted of two main parts. The central part was occupied by the citadel, which was surrounded by a concentric fence. The walls of the castle, about 6 meters thick, are heavily damaged and have survived in fragments. According to the plan, the fortress had a symmetrical outline, its axis was oriented from east to west. In the western part of the citadel there was a 3-4-storey tower. The wide entrance gate is covered with an arch. To the east of the gate there is a small warehouse, from where a tunnel begins. It is said to have been 300 meters long with an outlet on the Partskhisistskali River (Georgian: ფარცხისის წყალი ). In the south-eastern part of the fortress territory, two small churches have survived. During the enemy invasion, the Partskhisi fortress was used as a refuge for the population.
Partskhisi village (Georgian: სოფელი ფარცხისი), Municipality of Tetritskaro (Georgian: თეთრიწყაროს მუნიციპალიტეტი)