Experts to restore collapsed mountainous Svaneti village monument

Medieval defensive towers overlooking a village in Svaneti. Photo: Levan Nizharadze.

Agenda.ge, 23 Jun 2017 - 17:55, Tbilisi,Georgia

A collapsed medieval monument in Georgia's Svaneti region will be restored by the state agency for cultural heritage within a project for rehabilitation of iconic tower structures in the mountainous province.

The tower — one of many defensive structures overlooking houses in high-lying settlements in the province — collapsed on Thursday in village Chvibiani, 165km north of western Georgian city Kutaisi.

The National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia confirmed the incident earlier today and said the Charkviani family tower had disintegrated due to effect of "harsh climate conditions" on its structural integrity, accumulated over time.

The Chvibiani village tower collapsed on Thursday. Photo: Levan Nizharadze.

In an effort to restore the monument, two teams from the agency will be dispatched to study the damage and prepare a report for reconstruction works this week.

The collapsed structure is one of hundreds of towers from the medieval era that dot villages of Svaneti and represent a major tourist attraction.

Their condition has been a focus of attention for years, with the Cultural Heritage Agency carrying out restoration and strengthening work on up to 70 towers in Mestia Municipality over the last three years.

Many of the defensive towers overlooking settlements in Svaneti are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. Photo: M. Gujejiani/National Commission of Georgia for UNESCO.

However, a number of towers remain in "critical condition" due to a lack of maintenance and strengthening effort over an extended period of time, said the agency.

The organisation's project for their restoration will now also include the Chvibiani village tower, with the latter set to be reconstructed this year.

The defensive towers in Svaneti villages are recognised as unique examples of cultural heritage of Georgia and the world, with the towering monuments in village Chazhashi, near Chvibiani, inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.