Ateni Fortress

The fortress of Ateni was considered impregnable for a very long time. It was a safe place where Georgian kings and grand princes took their families when there was unrest in the country. Ateni was the scene of important battles that often decided the fate of the country.

The name

The fortress was named Ateni because of its location in the Ateni Valley on the Tana River.

History of Ateni Fortress

Atenis Fortress was built in the 10th century by the Baghvashi family. This family also owned another important fortress in the country at Kldekari, which is why they were called the Princes of Kldekari.

The Grand Princes of Kldekari were not always loyal to the Georgian kings, and immediately after the construction of Ateni Fortress a great battle took place between the princes and the Georgian king Bagrat III. The king was unable to take Ateni, but the rebels recognised the king's sovereignty and the fortress was handed over to the king.

In the 11th century, a prince of Kldekari named Liparit tried to take the fortress of Ateni, but the royal army managed to hold it.

In the 16th century, the Georgian king Dawit X had to retreat to the fortress of Ateni because his own brother Av-Giorgi had organised a rebellion against him. Av-Giorgi besieged the citadel of Ateni for several days, but was unable to take it.

Still in the same 16th century, East Georgia was invaded four times by the Persian Shah Tahmasp I. In his fourth and most brutal invasion, King Luarsab took his mother to the fortress of Ateni. The fortress was soon besieged by the Persians, but could not be taken after several days of fighting. Only when the Persians found out how the fortress was supplied with water and cut off the water source, were they able to take the fortress of Ateni.

In the 17th century, the Persian Shah Abbas I appointed a Georgian convert to Islam from the royal dynasty as king of Georgia (his name was Rostom). During an uprising against Rostom, the rebels, including princes of Aragvi and several members of the Georgian royal dynasty, were forced to retreat to the fortress of Ateni. King Rostom, with the help of Persian troops, managed to capture Ateni's Ziche and the fortress was badly damaged.

After this brutal battle, the fortress is no longer mentioned as a significant fortification in Georgian chronicles.

The architecture

The fortress stands on a rocky, hard-to-reach hill above the village of Ateni. It is 38.4 metres long and 17.2 metres wide, with walls up to 10 metres high and 1.5 metres wide in places. The fortress is built of river stones and consists of two parts, a northern and a southern one.

The northern part is relatively small and is the entrance to the fort.

The southern part is larger and includes several defence towers, as well as the residential building and a large water reservoir.

In 1920, after a strong earthquake, the fortress of Ateni was severely damaged, but a large part of the complex is still preserved and can be visited free of charge.