Gonio Fortress

Gonio Fortress, an ancient fortified city on the Black Sea coast, is located 12 km south of Batumi, on the left bank of the Chorokhi River. From the city, only the grand fortress has survived. It is surrounded by walls and each side has a gate. The walls have 18 towers.

Gonio Fortress is first mentioned in the 1st century AD (by Pliny the Elder) under the name Apsaros Fortress. Until the 12th century, it was known as Apsaros-Apsaruntos, and from the 12th century onward, it has been referred to as Gonio (Haji Kafka). In the 2nd century, a Roman garrison was stationed there (according to Flavius Arrian); its name also appears in Roman inscriptions from that time. Later, it became part of the Kingdom of Lazica.

According to Procopius of Caesarea (6th century), Apsaros was once a large and populous city, with its own theater, hippodrome, etc. In the 8th–9th centuries, it became part of the Georgian Kingdom (according to Ioane Sabanisdze). In the 14th century, Michael Panaretos (in the Chronicle of Trebizond) referred to Gonio as a fortress at the edge of Georgia.

In 1547, it was captured by the Ottomans. After that, it changed hands several times, eventually remaining under Ottoman control. Many travelers and statesmen passed through Gonio, including Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani.

There were several exploratory archaeological works at Gonio Fortress (in 1959, 1961, 1967). The archaeological expedition discovered the ruins of various residential and public buildings from different periods, 12 aqueducts, baths, sewage collectors, both local and imported ceramic artifacts, glassware, coins, military and agricultural tools, etc. It was revealed that the city originated in the 8th–7th centuries BC.

Literature: გ ძ ე ლ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი ი., ხ ა ხ უ ტ ა ი შ ვ ი ლ ი დ., რკინის წარმოების უძველესი კერა ჭოროხის ქვემო დინებაში და არქეოლოგიური დაზვერვები გონიო-აფსაროსში, კრ.: სამხრეთ-დასავლეთ საქართველოს ძეგლები, I, თბ., 1964; ი ა შ ვ ი ლ ი ვ., გონიოს ციხის ისტორიისათვის, კრ.: ქართული მატერიალური კულტურის ძეგლები აჭარაში, ბათ., 1955; ლ ო რ თ ქ ი ფ ა ნ ი ძ ე ო., მ ი ქ ე ლ ა ძ ე თ., ხ ა ხ უ ტ ა ი შ ვ ი ლ ი დ., გონიოს განძი, თბ., 1980 (ქართ., რუს. და ფრანგ. ენებზე); ს ი ხ ა რ უ ლ ი ძ ე ი., აჭარის მატერიალური კულტურის ძეგლები, ბათ., 1962.

D. Khakhutaishvili