Muri Fortress

Muri is the fortress that was never taken. It stands on a sheer cliff above Tsageri at about 670 metres, watching the Tskhenistskali valley in both directions. That position made it the political and economic centre of Lechkhumi — the historical provinces of Skvimnia and Takveri — for centuries.

The complex runs east to west in three parts, and tradition gives each of them a name in the imperative: "strike hard", "meet them well" and "let none through". The first is a small watchtower, the initial checkpoint on the way up; the main building stands higher, and beside the western tower are the remains of a monastery.

The fortress was besieged repeatedly, including during Ottoman raids, and it held every time. The reason is prosaic: the rock was unclimbable and the garrison had both water and stores.

In 2018 a stepped and lit path was built up the cliff face, and the ascent has been far easier ever since — before that it was a genuine scramble. From the top the Tskhenistskali valley runs away into the distance, the roofs of Tsageri sit directly below, and the villages of Lower Svaneti show to the north.

Throughout the Middle Ages Lechkhumi was contested ground, claimed in turn by the Dadiani of Samegrelo and the kings of Imereti, and Muri was the knot: holding it meant holding the valley. When the administrative centre moved down to Tsageri in 1867 the fortress lost its purpose and emptied — the modern town below is Muri's direct successor. Traces of the water storage system are still visible within the walls, and that was the thing that mattered most under siege.

In spring and autumn, with the leaves thin, the masonry reads much more clearly; by midsummer vegetation covers a good deal of the walls. After dark the lit fortress is visible from the town.