The Georgian Military Road: Ananuri
The Georgian Military Road is the historic name for a major route through the Caucasus from Georgia to Russia. Alternative routes across the mountains include the Ossetian Military Road and the Transkam.
The Georgian Military Road runs between Tbilisi (Georgia) and Vladikavkaz (Russia) and follows the traditional route used by invaders and traders throughout the ages. The road stretches some 208 kilometers through the Terek valley, crosses the Rocky Ridge (хребет Скалистый) in the Darial Gorge, past Mount Kazbek, and Gergeti Trinity Church, then leads through the canyon of the Baidarka River to the Jvari Pass, where it reaches an altitude of 2379 meters (7815 feet). It continues along the Tetri Aragvi River past the medieval fortress of Ananuri and Zemo Avchala, a hydroelectric dam and follows the right bank of the Kura (Mtkvari) River past the ancient town of Mtskheta to Tbilisi.
Known since antiquity (it was mentioned by Strabo in his Geographica and by Pliny, the Georgian Military Road in its present form was begun by the Russian military in 1799. After the Kingdom of Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1801, Tsar Alexander I ordered General Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov, commander-in-chief of Russian forces in the Caucasus to improve the surfacing of the road to facilite troop movement and communications. When Yermolov announced the completion of work in 1817, the highway was heralded as the Russian Simplon. However, work continued until 1863.
The Georgian Military Road played an important role in the economic development of Transcaucasia and in the Russian-Circassian War.
The importance of the Georgian Military Highway as a through
Ananuri is a castle complex on the Aragvi River in Georgia, about 45 miles from Tbilisi.
Ananuri was a castle and seat of the eristavis (Dukes) of Aragvi, a feudal dynasty which ruled the area from the 13th century. The castle was the scene of numerous battles.
In 1739, Ananuri was attacked by forces from a rival duchy, the Shamshe of Kasni and was set on fire. The Aragvi clan was massacred. However, four years later, the local peasants revolted againt rule by the Shamshe, killing the upsurpers and inviting King Teimuraz II to rule directly over them. However, in 1746, King Teimuraz was forced to suppress another peasant uprising, with the help of King Erekle II of Kakheti. The fortress remained in use until the begininng of the 19th century. In 2007, the complex has been on the tenative list for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage Site program.
The fortifications consist of two castles joined by by a crenalated curtain wall. The upper fortification with a large square tower, known as Sheupovari, is well-preserved and is the location of the last defense of the Aragvi against the Shamshe. The lower fortification, with a round tower, is mostly in ruins.
Within the complex, amongst other buildings, are two churches. The older Church of the Virgin, which abuts a tall square tower, has the graves of some of the Dukes of Aragvi. It dates from the first half of the 17th century, and was built of brick. The interior is no longer decorated, but of interest is a stone baldaquin erected by the widow of the Duke Edishera, who died in 1674.
The larger Church of the Assumption (Ghvtismshobeli), built in 1689 for the son of Duke Bardzem. It is a central dome style structure with richly decorated facades, including a carved north entrance and a carved grapevine cross on the south façade. It also contains the remains of a number of frescoes, most of which were destroyed by the fire in the 18th century.
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