The Ananuri Fortress is located 70 kilometers from Tbilisi, in the village of Ananuri near the confluence of the Aragvi and Vedzathevi rivers.
It dates back to the sixteenth century and was used as a residence for the Dukes of Aragvi, an ancient Georgian dynasty.
It is a castle complex that consists of two churches, a watchtower and defensive walls.
The two churches in the fortress are examples of medieval Georgian architecture.
Church of the Assumption, the largest place of worship, was built in 1689 and features intricate sculptures and frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible.
The smaller church, known as St. George’s Church, was built in the 16th century with simpler architecture.
Inside the churches there are the remains of numerous frescoes, largely lost due to the fire of 1739.
The watchtower and defensive walls of the fortress were added later and served as protection against invaders.
During the eighteenth century, a time when Georgia had to face the Persian and Ottoman invasions, the fortress housed the most important relic of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Cross of St. Nino.
The fortress of Ananuri continued to play its defensive role until the beginning of the nineteenth century, when Georgia was annexed to the Russian Empire.
It was nominated for UNESCO World Heritage in 2012 and is recognized as one of the best-preserved monuments of the Georgian feudal era.
