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Samtsevrisi Church and Fortress Samtsevrisi is a well-preserved fortress with various functional buildings from the Middle Ages. The complex is easily visible from the motorway on the Gori-Khashuri section on the right bank of the Kura River and it is worth spending half an hour visiting this historic complex. Samtsevrisi Complex 1. The Great Tower Total area: 2000 m². The name Samtsevrisi literally means "three members". Several centuries ago, three families (members) settled in this place and named it Samtsevrisi. There is also a village of the same name near the fort. Construction stages of the fortress The fort consists of a northern and a southern part, both built at different times over several centuries. New buildings were added, while the old ones were sometimes demolished or rebuilt in a different style. About 5 building periods can be traced. In the first phase, probably as early as the 8th century, only the Great Tower was built. The second phase saw the addition of the church and a defensive wall around the two buildings. In the third phase, the wall was extended. Today, parts of it can be seen to the south of the Great Tower. In the fourth phase, probably in the 16th and 17th centuries, the palace and other economic buildings were built of river stone. In the fifth and last phase, at the beginning of the 18th century, the southern part was built. All the buildings there, except the church, date from the last period. The large tower - (10.8 x 11.2 m) has a circular shape and is built of river stone. The walls are 2 to 2.5 metres thick and only three of the original four storeys remain. The entrance is on the second floor and the height of each floor is about 3.5 metres. Such towers have been built in Georgia since the 8th century and were used for both residential and defensive purposes. The church - architecturally a small basilica (13.2 x 8.8 m) - is located in the southern part of the complex and is integrated into the defensive wall. The church took on its present form in the 16th and 17th centuries, although the foundations date from the early feudal period. The interior of the church has recently been painted and is in use. The defensive wall - surrounds the complex in a polygonal shape and the two-part inner courtyard covers a total area of 82 x 42.3 metres. The parts of the wall were built in different periods and vary in height from 3 to 10 metres. The ruins of a palace and other economic buildings - built of river stone - date from the 16th to 18th centuries. Interesting to know The Samtsevrisi fortress was the residence of the princes Tsitsishvili and Panaskerteli. They had the special task of protecting the important Kura Valley road to Tbilisi. The most famous member of the princely family was Zaza Panaskerteli from the 15th century. He was best known for his compendia of the medical arts, the Karabadini. He is described in several contemporary accounts as "the great healer and head of the wise". The Tsitsishvili princes organised several revolts against the Persian rulers in Georgia, but were finally defeated in the early 18th century. The family resurfaced in the 19th century during Russian rule in the Caucasus. The most famous member of the family was Pavle Tsitsishvili (Pavel Tsitsianov). He was a general in the Imperial Russian Army and commander-in-chief in the Caucasus in the early 19th century. The village of Samtsevrisi has a population of about 400, some of whom come from the Adjara region, where they were resettled during the Soviet era after a violent landslide in Adjara. In the village of Samtsevrisi there is a cross-domed church from the 7th century. It is dedicated to St George and serves as a monastery for men. The Samtsevrisi fortress has recently been thoroughly renovated and a nunnery has been established there. The church, dedicated to the Archangel, has frescoes by the Georgian painter Zusa Modebadze. Location of Samtsevrisi The Samtsevrisi Fortress is located in the village of the same name - Samtsevrisi, three kilometres from the town of Kareli, in region Shida Kartli, on the right bank of the Kura River.
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