Nokalakevi (Archaeopolis)

Nokalakevi is one of the most important archaeological sites in western Georgia. Byzantine authors knew it as Archaeopolis, while Georgian tradition called it Tsikhegoji. It occupies a naturally defended position in the valley of the Tekhuri river and was a principal centre of the kingdom of Egrisi between the fourth and sixth centuries.

Its historical weight comes from the Lazic Wars, the sixth-century contest between Byzantium and Sasanian Persia for control of western Georgia. Nokalakevi was one of the key fortified nodes in that conflict, and the surviving walls reflect the military engineering of exactly that period.

What you will find on site:

• The lower fortress walls and towers, partly consolidated and restored
• A secret tunnel cut down through the rock to the Tekhuri, built to supply water during a siege
• The remains of a basilica and a bath house
• A small museum displaying finds from the excavations

A joint Georgian-British archaeological expedition has worked here for many years, so in summer you may well see active trenches and researchers at work. The climb to the upper fortress is steep and unshaded, but the view along the valley makes it worth the effort, and it clarifies exactly why the site was chosen.