Shkhepi Fortress (Region of Samegrelo)
Shkhepi Fortress (Georgian: შხეფის ციხე) – A historical monument of the pre-feudal era, which played a certain role in the history of the region. It is a small, heavily damaged, but beautifully located fortress in Samegrelo, on the heights east of the city of Senaki. It is considered a very ancient structure and one of the links in the general chain of defense of the Kingdom of Egrisi. The history of the castle begins with the foundation of the ancient Georgian kingdom – Egrisi (Lazika) (Georgian: ეგრისი), which existed in the 1st – 8th centuries. Attacks were mainly carried out from the sea or from the south. When the Egrisi people failed to stop the enemy on the Colchis plain (Georgian: კოლხეთის დაბლობი), they retreated north and took refuge in the mountains and valleys, protected by the Shkhepi fortress and other similar mountaintop fortresses.
The fortress was an important fortress in the 4th-19th centuries, and for some time was the residence of the Dadiani dynasty. The mountain was chosen for the fortress, from where the Colchis Lowland is visible at a glance. It was possible to observe a vast territory from here. It also directly controlled the main highway passing at the foot of the mountain. The fortress is multi-layered and the main one belongs to the period of early feudalism. Among the buildings of the late period, the first layers are difficult to distinguish, but it is still possible to read the layout of the original castle. Now the central tower, the heavily damaged eastern tower and the foundation of the western part remain from the fortress. Inside, you can find fragments of a qvevri, which suggests that the fortress had its own wine storage.
Village Shua Nosiri (Georgian.სოფელი შუა ნოსირი), Municipality of Senaki (Georgian. სენაკის მუნიციპალიტეტი)