Gori Castle

Gori Castle - On a rocky hill in the center of Gori stands this staggering historical fortress. Its ruins and archaeological data gathered from the hill’s northern slope prove that, in the last centuries of the 1st millennium BC, a strong fortress, named as “Goris Tsikhe”'' stood here, and the existence of a fortress was again recorded in 13th century sources. Gori Castle represents the old architectural image of Gori.

In 1474, Gori was reportedly seen by Venetian Contarini on his way to Persia, who claimed a wooden castle stood here. Moreover, Iit is clear from Christopher Castelli's painting that most of the castle in its present form was built during Rostom of Kartli's reign (17th century). Rostom, who converted to Islam and reigned over the king Georgia for around 25 years, assessed its strategic importance and immediately began to rebuild the castle. Ultimately, gaining control over Gori Castle meant controlling the Shida Kartli region as a whole. At the beginning of the 18th century, Gori Castle was still considered a reliable fortress. Indeed, when the domination of the Turks dominated Kartli, they held Gori Castle was held by the enemy. Only after the death of Nadir-Shah didin the 18th century, King Teimuraz regained the fortress of Gori for Georgia . In the first years after Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti formed an alliance with Russia (1801), Gori Castle continued to perform its function as- the grenadier battalion of the Russian army was stationed here. In the 19th century however, Gori Castle began to lose its strategic importance.