Historic Atskuri fortress and church restored in Georgia’s south-west

Two medieval monuments in Georgia's south-west are undergoing extensive restoration in a bid to preserve their architectural and cultural legacy.

The Atskuri Fortress and Cathedral, located in a village 100km west of capital Tbilisi, is being restored in large-scale works led by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia and National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia.

The two-year project will see significant rehabilitation of the two monuments damaged over many years of neglect and at the mercy of mother nature.

The fortress and church are in a poor state after years of neglect and at the mercy of mother nature. Photo from the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia/Facebook.

Restored in the 14th Century AD after the monastery that initially stood there was destroyed by an earthquake, the Atskuri Cathedral represented "one of the most important monument of Georgian religious architecture", said the Culture Ministry while announcing the restoration works today.

Currently only one third of the building remained intact and most of the construction was disintegrated.

Along with the monastery itself, the monument's territory was also significant for scientists and historians, with archaeological works currently underway at the site.

A decorative detail from the Atskuri cultural heritage monuments that’s being restored. Photo from the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia/Facebook.

With minor repair works currently underway at the Cathedral, large-scale restoration was expected to launch next year following the conclusion of the archaeological excavation.

The other significant monument of the village – the Atskuri Fortress – was one of the most significant defensive structures of the Middle Ages in Georgia.

Built on a high ground to control the Mtkvari River valley and a major road connecting with Georgia's south, the Fortress was built in the 10th Century AD and used for this purpose for nine centuries.

The two monuments are located in the Akhaltsikhe municipality in Georgia's south-west.

The two state offices involved in rehabilitation works said their 2015 project involved restoration of damaged parts of the construction including its outer wall and main citadel.

Georgia's Culture Ministry and Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation have been involved in several projects to restore medieval and ancient monuments across Georgia in recent years.

Georgia's state program for Cultural Heritage Protection involved monuments such as the 13th Century Skuri church in Georgia's northwest and ancient cave city Vardzia in the country's south.