But, they blocked our road, these cows
Here is a natural speed limit.

The driver slowed down to the desired speed. The cows did not pay attention to us.

Outside the window fantastic landscapes! The sun hurried beyond the mountains

...

The Kura River or its tributaries is visible

Landscapes change around every bend

It seems the river is very close

Oh, and here everything is different .. There are no high mountains, lush greenery of trees.

Another turn, and everything is different, but we are almost there!

Akhaltsikhe fortress Rabat

The main attraction of the town of Akhaltsikhe is Rabat fortress. It is located on a small hill, near the shore of a quiet river

This is a recently restored castle. In August 2012, all repairs were completed. Today it is a fully restored Rabat fortress.This new tourist destination is visited by up to two thousand tourists daily.
The name Rabat comes from the Arabic language and means "fortified place."
Before restoration, there were only a few pieces of old masonry and a dilapidated tower on the side, which is visible from the highest

So, a little history, sources tell

The city of Akhaltsikhe was founded in the 9th and was called Lomsia. The name Akhaltsikhe was first mentioned in the 1204th century in one of the annals, which tells of two local military commanders - Shalva and Ivan Akhaltsikh.t In those days, the city consisted of two parts: residential quarters and fortresses. The fortress was surrounded by three powerful walls, and connected to the surroundings using a system of tunnels.

More than once the fortress was destroyed.

In 1393, it was almost completely destroyed by the army of Tamerlane. The city and the fortress were restored only after 100 years
In 1486, Akhaltsikhe was destroyed by the Mongol khan Yakub.
In 1578, the Ottoman forces captured, rebuilt and fortified the fortress.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the old part of the city was renamed Rabati,
In 1828, during the Russo-Turkish war, the combined forces of the Russian Empire and Georgia captured the fortress.

In the Soviet period, Akhaltsikhe became the borderline of the USSR. The whole region became a closed border zone, and the city housed a large base of border guards.

The territory of the fortress is about 7 hectares, which are divided into 2 parts: Eastern, the lower half of this space is publicly accessible and open around the clock. Here is a hotel, a wine shop and an information center, several points selling mineral water and soft drinks. You can climb the wall everywhere, you can go into all the towers and climb to the top.

The upper part is historical, but paid, ticket price is 7 GEL. The western, upper, part of the city is considered a museum territory. A shabby ladder leads from the bottom.

Follow me!

Next time I will show you the upper part of the fortress city. The western, upper, part of the city is considered a museum territory.

Enjoy!

Original photos by @leylar The photos were taken by OLYMPUS E-M1
Lens M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm 1:2.8 PRO

Thanks for your time and support!