Gonio Fortress (previously called Apsaros or Apsaruntos), is the oldest fortress in Georgia. The name derives from one of the characters of the myth of the Argonauts (Apsaros = brother of Medea). The earliest archeological layers date back to the 8th and 7th century BC. A cemetery of the 5th century BC, south of the castle, was established by the Colchic kingdom (one of the Georgian kingdoms). Plinius II was the first to mention Apsirtus in the 1st century AD. In the second half of the 1st AD, the high walls were built. Gonio became a center of roman culture and imperial power (with up to 1500 soldiers) until the 4th century, featuring a theater and a hippodrome. In the mid 6th century, Gonio became a byzantine stronghold, in the 12th century a part of the Georgian kingdom. In the 16th century, an ottoman garrison was stationed in Gonio. After the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78 Gonio became Georgian again. The total length of the fortress walls is 900 meters.
Gonio Fortress was originally built to protect the entries to the Chorokhi and Acharistskali Rivers, a strategic point which connected the land’s inner regions with the Black Sea shore. Straddling the eastern border of the Roman Empire, the outpost also served as an economic and cultural center, a fact confirmed by the ruins of a hippodrome and Roman theatre which were uncovered on site and dated to the 1st-3rd centuries AD. During the Byzantine era, it likewise served as a trade center for Genoese merchants.
Despite all that is known regarding its history, Gonio Fortress is still fraught with mystery. Ongoing excavations continue to uncover clues to the citadel’s past, such as buried treasure dating back to the 5th century AD which was discovered near the southern wall in 1974. Due to the significance of Gonio Fortress as a rare monument from the Roman period of Adjara’s history, it was declared a museum-reserve by the Georgian government in 1994.
Legends
Gonio-Apsaros Fortress is surrounded with legend, and the name Apsaros often associated with Greek mythology. According to one story, Absyrtus sone of King Aet was killed by Jason of Argonauts and buried on the site of Gonio Fortress.
The fortress territory also has a tomb which some claim is the burial site of the Apostle Matthew, the twelfth disciple of Jesus who was accepted into Christ’s inner circle in place of Judas Iscariot. Matthew purportedly traveled to the land after Christ’s death in order to preach and remained here until his death. Today, large cross-stone pedestals stand on the site presumed to be Matthew’s tomb.
Architecture
Gonio Fortress is encompassed by a wall measuring 900 meters in length and 5 meters in height. Initially, twenty-two 7-meter-high towers were built along its perimeter, but only eighteen have remained to the present day. Originally built with 4 entrances and exits, currently only the western entry has survived.
The layout and architecture of Gonio Fortress near Batumi have remained nearly unchanged through millennia, and save the addition of a mosque opposite Saint Mathew’s Tomb and the reconstruction of a section of the Roman bathhouse, it has largely retained its original appearance. The site now also includes a small museum.
A visit to Gonio Fortress, located approximately 15 kilometers from Batumi in a village named after the fortress, is highly recommended for anyone visiting Batumi, Georgia. |
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