Atskuri Fortress is located at the entrance to the Borjomi Gorge. If you are traveling from Borjomi to the Cave settlement of Vardzia, then you need to plan a short stop at the Atskuri Fortress to see the medieval walls, as well as beautiful views of the Kura River valley.
In the Middle Ages, one of the most important trade routes of the Silk Road in Transcaucasia passed along the bed of the Kura River. The Kura River flows between two mountain ranges, from the east is the Meskheti range, and from the west is the Trialeti mountain range. The narrowest part in the valley of the Kura River is the Borjomi Gorge. It starts at Atskuri and ends at Borjomi. To control this route, the local feudal lords built the Atskuri Fortress. A large medieval city was located around the fortress on the banks of the Kura River.
Atskuri Fortress rises above the Kura River on a high cliff. Archaeological excavations indicate that a settlement at this place existed in the Bronze Age. Atskuri fortifications began to be built in the 9th century. The fortress was destroyed many times, but rebuilt on ancient foundations. The fortress walls that have survived to this day date back to the 14th-18th century.
The ruins of an ancient Christian temple have been preserved in the fortress. In the ancient chronicles there is evidence that the Atskuri Fortress was visited by the Apostle Andrew the First-Called during one of his missionary trips. He left an icon here, which is now called the Icon of Our Lady of Atskuri.
According to legend, during one of the attacks of the Persian detachment, the commander Yakub-bek ordered to burn this icon. It was thrown into the fire, but icon did not burn. Many Persians, having seen this miracle, converted to Christianity. The icon was moved several times to the Gelati monastery, but then returned back. Now the Icon of Our Lady of Atskuri is kept in the Tbilisi Museum of Art.
