Exploring 900 Years of History, Secret Courtyards, Beautiful Gardens & One of Southern Georgia’s Most Fascinating Fortresses!
📍 LOCATION: Akhaltsikhe, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia
🏰 ALSO KNOWN AS: Rabati Castle / Akhaltsikhe Castle
📅 HISTORY: 9th c.
👑 HISTORICAL RULERS: Jakeli family, Ottoman authorities and later Russian administration
🛠️ RESTORATION: Major reconstruction completed in 2012
📐 COMPLEX SIZE: Approximately 8 hectares
🕌 MAIN ATTRACTIONS: Ahmediye Mosque, citadel, church, towers, gardens and museum
⏱️ VISIT DURATION: Approximately 1.5–3 hours
🥾 WALKING: Stone pathways, stairs and elevated viewpoints
🎟️ ENTRY: Ticket required for upper fortress; lower courtyard is free
🌐 OFFICIAL WEBSITE: Akhaltsikhe Castle
LOCATION
🗺️ GOOGLE MAPS: Rabati Fortress Location
CASTLE TOWERS, OTTOMAN MOSQUES & A GEORGIAN MAGIC!
Perched high above the town, Rabati is an enormous fortress complex where Georgian, Ottoman and other cultural influences have come together over hundreds of years
As we drove up, I was in awe when I saw the location of this fortress and the outer wall, I really didnt know what to expect going inside… BUT I wasnt expecting THIS!!!!
The ticket office is right next to the main entrance and I bought my ticket for 20 lari and you couldnt hold me back! I was on a mission to explore!
The outer walls of the Fortress overlooking the town of Akhaltsikhe
The fortress goes back to the 9th c. when the original stronghold was known as Lomsia and it developed into an important defensive, political and trading centre
THE JAKELI FAMILY ~ MEDIEVAL LORDS OF THE FORTRESS!
So, heres some history, who knows whats true but this is what they say…
During the 12th & 13th c, the fortress was expanded and became closely associated with the powerful Jakeli family
They influenced Georgian nobles who ruled in this area, this town became an important admin centre and the fortress was one of their principal residences
FROM GEORGIAN FORTRESS TO OTTOMAN STRONGHOLD!
16th c was an interesting chapter in Rabati’s history when the Ottomon’s gained control of Akhaltsikhe and it became an important Ottoman admin centre and the fortress took on new architectural and religious influences & mosques, islamic educational buildings became part of the complex
This is what makes Rabati so amazing! The mix of different cultures and all the buildings beautifully mix somehow, its just gorgeous! This fortress shows its different rulers and religions and those who shaped this part of Georgia
For centuries, Akhaltsikhe was home to Georgians, Armenians, Jews, Turks and other communities… the surrounding Rabati district contained Orthodox, Catholic & Armenian churches, mosques and synagogues – incredible!
This whole lower courtyard shows this as there is a mix of different cultural buildings all closely placed together
The entrance to the upper courtyard of the Fortress… now I had NO idea what it was going to be like…
The Minaret – another reminder of Rabatis Ottoman past – its a very unique and different minaret design as well
The entrance to the upper courtyard and buildings area, not sure what to expect, but its a great way to get to the next zone…
… and see this!!! incredible! I ran up the steps eager to explore so bad!
The beautiful grey stone buildings – on the right is the bell tower, part of the Christian heritage of the fortress
THE AHMEDIYE MOSQUE
One of the buildings that really stands out is the Ahmediye Mosque and just looks so out of place, yet so beautiful! The inside is just stunning and beuatifully built
🏰 THE CITADEL & WATCHTOWERS
Being someone who is a castle fanatic and I was in heaven running around here on my own trying to see every single area of this fortress!
From the citadel and the walls you can see the beautiful surroundings of the town below and the beautiful sunset!
Rising above the rest of the complex, the citadel was the fortresses most defended section and was an important strong hold for those times of conflict
From here, you can appreciate the whole of the fortress area, from the lower section to the upper as well as outside the fortress
The highest point of the Fortress! is the top of the Citadel and I climbed up here, practically on my own no one was around and I enjoyed the wind blowing through my hair and looking around 360 and viewing the city and the surrounding beautiful mountains
The gorgeous valley and the homes of the locals scattered around working with nature
THE CITADEL & UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS ~ SECRETS BENEATH RABATI FORTRESS!
Dungeons or cellars?? These looked like dungeons!
I found a rickety ladder that leads down into the darkness, turned my torch on and headed down, there was NO way I was going to miss out on this…
I started walking down these crooked stairs and into the dark… it was so easy to imagine prisoners being kept here in the dungeons, one of the rooms was just dark, no windows nothing, and I was on my own it felt so eerie
and venturing into the lower chambers, I discovered these dark, enclosed stone spaces that looked remarkably like medieval dungeons – and it turns out Rabati really does have a history of imprisonment!
There are also tunnels that lead out to the surrounding areas used as an escape route
Timber beams of a Georgian “darbazi roof” they are traditional and used in Georgian dwellings, with a central opening at the top and allows the light to enter and the smoke of the hearth to escape
Looking down to the stairs that walk into the citadel
The view from the highest point, the citadel, what a view!!
The watchtowers and fortress walls – strategically placed at this height to be a strtategic watch tower that goes all the way around the fortress
There were so many beautiful garden areas, pathways and terraces landscaped beautifully!
Looking down towards the lower section you could see the continuation of the outer walls going around and being connected by towers
This looked like a checkerboard! this adds a palatial feel to it and is a modern addition to the landscaped gardens
The garden pavillion on the left has a beautiful fountain inside
It has gorgeous details and as you stand next to it you cant hear any other noise than the splashing of the water, its so relaxing
The Madrasa – an ottomon school of learning – this was a former islamic school built during the mid 18th c
A 2 storey building features beautiful arched galleries and rows of stone columns surrounding the courtyard with a small pool in the middle
Another gorgeous landscaped garden area, just makes each photo look so amazingly beautiful!
Part of the outer wall which is also a guard tower in the upper section of the fortress
Not wanting to leave.. it was dark when I was dragged out of the fortress by my guide… reluctantly
I loved it here!! I LOVED it! really really recommend coming here… I want to organise a tour here for a small group and exploring together…
A place that has been reconstructed, but still beautiful and still so so much to see and encounter – It may not be a completely untouched medieval fortress, but that doesn’t take away from the fascinating stories hidden within its walls!
EXPLORE EXPLORE EXPLORE!
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