Medieval tower restored after collapse in mountainous Khevsureti

An iconic medieval tower that collapsed in Georgia’s highland Khevsureti province last year has been successfully restored and safeguarded by experts.

One of many historical defensive structures found in the village of Shatili in the north-eastern province, the tower partially disintegrated under effects of natural phenomena in June 2017.

Experts responded to the incident shortly after, setting up a construction to safeguard the monument from winter climate.

Photographs of the tower before and after restoration work. Photo: Georgia’s Cultural Heritage Agency press office.

They also re-filled the foundation of the tower with "monolithic" concrete base before postponing further work until spring season.

Since then the restoration work has included using authentic stone material to rebuild a collapsed wall of the structure.

Wooden roofing between storeys, in addition to stairs and other elements of the tower, was also rebuilt.

Run by a private company, the rehabilitation work was supervised by the National Agency of Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia.

The defensive structures give the mountainous villages in some Georgia’s remote provinces their iconic look. Photo: Georgia’s Cultural Heritage Agency press office.

The agency's assessment of the original incident said the family tower had disintegrated due to a drainage construction from a nearby tower directing precipitation towards its foundations.

Climate conditions also caused a collapse of a tower in Svaneti, another of Georgia’s remote mountainous provinces, in 2017.

The structures are among hundreds of towers from the medieval era that dot villages of the highland provinces and represent a major tourist attraction.