The Chakvinji fortress (Georgian: ჭაქვინჯის ციხე) also known as Jikhashkari fortress[1] is located at the municipality of Zugdidi at the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, in the village of Jikhashkari, on the banks of the Chanistsqali river, built on a high mountain.[2]

Chakvinji fortress
ჭაქვინჯის ციხე
Chakvinji fortress
Map
42°30′06″N 42°01′08″E / 42.50167°N 42.01889°E / 42.50167; 42.01889
LocationJikhashkari Zugdidi Municipality, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Georgia
TypeCyclopean fortress

History edit

The famous 18th-century Georgian historian and geographer Vakhushti Batonishvili described the area of the fortress as a summer palace of. Samegrelo. In this fortress was born the last great character Dadiani, David, on January 26, 1813.[2][3]

The fort was originally built during the period of the Kingdom of Abkhazia (Egrisi-Abkhazia) in the 8th century AD. Later it was reconstructed in the 12th century AD and significantly restored in the 16th or 17th century AD.[4]

In 1905, during the revolution, Adelkhanov forces invaded Jihaskari, Chakvinji, and their adjacent villages. In the days of struggle for the establishment of Soviet power in Georgia, the forces Mensheviks occupied Jihaskari fortress, from where there was a counterattack by the local population. The Mensheviks were expelled by the Bolsheviks.

According to archaeological studies conducted in the fortress, Chakvini had a citadel, towers, and a church along with other structures. In 2017, local media reported that the fortress was seriously damaged and about to collapse. Despite being a monument of national importance,[5][6] until October 2017, no rehabilitation work had been carried out.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ Jikhashkari fortress The Black Sea Silk Road
  2. ^ a b Syau, Yu-Ru; Stanley Lee, E. (2005–2009). "Some properties". Applied Mathematics Letters. 18 (9): 1074–1080. doi:10.1016/j.aml.2004.09.018. ISSN 0893-9659.
  3. ^ "Jixashkari".
  4. ^ "Chakvinji Fortress | Archiqoo". archiqoo.com. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  5. ^ "ჭაქვინჯის ციხეს ეროვნული მნიშვნელობის კატეგორია განესაზღვრა". ლაივპრესი. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  6. ^ "ჭაქვინჯის ციხე ეროვნული მნიშვნელობის კულტურული მემკვიდრეობის უძრავი ძეგლი გახდა". არტნიუსი (in Georgian). 2017-04-17. Archived from the original on 2019-08-04. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  7. ^ "ჭაქვინჯის ციხე ინგრევა". imedinews.ge. Retrieved 2019-08-04.

Literature edit

  • Soviet Soviet Encyclopedia, T. XI, Tb., 1987.
  • Zakaraia P., Old Castles of Georgia, Tb., 1988.
  • P. Zakaraia, h. Kapanadze - "Tsikhioghi-Archaeopolis-Nokalakevi Architecture", "Science" editorial, Tb. 1991