Gremi Architectural Complex (Royal Fortress)

The architectural ensemble of Gremi is a majestic monument of late-medieval Kakhetian architecture, dramatically towering on a rocky hill at the confluence of the Intsoba and Bolia Rivers. It is the sole surviving island of the once flourishing, wealthy, and populous capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti in the 16th-17th centuries, destroyed in the blaze of the Persian wars.

In 1466, following the collapse of the unified Kingdom of Georgia, Gremi was proclaimed the capital of the independent Kingdom of Kakheti. Situated along a busy branch of the Great Silk Road, the city experienced a rapid economic and cultural flourishing under King Levan (1520-1574). Gremi was divided into three main quarters: the royal citadel on the hill, the commercial quarter with caravanserai, covered oriental bazaars, and a mint, and the residential areas of the nobility with paved streets and public baths. However, the city's golden age ended tragically: in 1615, the troops of Persian Shah Abbas I razed Gremi to the ground, slaughtered its residents, and took thousands into slavery. The city never recovered from the devastation, and the royal residence was moved permanently to Telavi.

To this day, from the medieval metropolis only the impregnable royal citadel on the hill has survived. Its main focal point is the magnificent Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, built in 1565 by King Levan. The church is constructed of baked red brick on a stone foundation in the traditional cross-in-square style. Inside the temple, unique wall paintings from 1577 have been preserved, including a lifetime donor portrait of King-builder Levan holding a model of the cathedral, as well as his tomb.

Beside the church rises a three-story royal palace-tower featuring an observation terrace, bell tower, and the rulers' living quarters. A secret underground passage leads down from the tower to the Intsoba River, which served to deliver water during sieges and for clandestine evacuation. Today the Gremi Historical Museum exhibition is laid out inside the palace tower: displayed here are unique archaeological finds, medieval weaponry, armor, gold and silver Kakhetian-minted coins, ceramics, and luxury wares of oriental merchants. From the citadel's upper observation platform, a picturesque vista opens onto the ruins of the ancient city at the foot of the hill and the vineyard expanses of the Alazani Valley.