Khertvisi is one of the villages with a rich historical past in the region. It is located at the confluence of the Kur and Parvana rivers, 17 km northwest of Akhalkalaki as the crow flies.
Khertvisi is home to the fortress of the same name, which has changed hands many times throughout history and has been periodically renovated. Khertvisi Fortress is one of the well-preserved fortresses, built on a high rocky hill.
The 11th-century Georgian historian Leonti Mroveli mentions it as a city and the center of historical Meskheti. According to another legend found in Georgian sources, the fortress withstood the troops of Alexander the Great, although this fact has not been historically confirmed.
The overall complex is multi-layered. It consists of a citadel at the top and an inner fortress below, adjacent to it from the southeast. The main mass of the complex dates back to the 10th-14th centuries, but there are also buildings attributed to the 16th-18th centuries. Due to the strategic importance of the fortress, it has been constantly renovated and fortified.
The fortress suffered greatly from the Mongol invasion and the earthquake of 1283. In 1354-56, the fortress was restored. There was an inscription above the entrance to the fortress, which is now considered lost. The inscription was first published by Brossen, and Taghayshvili offered his own version of the reading. According to the inscription, Kamkam’s son Zakaria built a tower and a wall here.
In 1578, the Ottomans penetrated the region. The local rulers, the Jagellis, converted to Islam and, along with other fortresses in the region, handed over Khertvisi to the Turks, receiving the title of Pasha in return.
In 1771, the Georgian king Heraclius II temporarily recaptured the fortress. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–29, the fortress was captured from the Turks by the Russians.
Khertvisi and its fortress stand as a testament to the region’s rich and tumultuous history, offering a glimpse into the past and the resilience of its people.
Based on video: Revik Karapetyan
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