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The Chazhashi Lower Fortress Complex
About The Chazhashi Lower Fortress Complex
Best time to visit:
All Season
The Chazhashi Lower Fortress Complex is so-called “Tamar’s Forge”. It is situated in Svaneti, in the municipality of Mestia, the community of Ushguli, in the village of Chazhashi. There was a time, when this place was part of the united structure of the fortification system of Chazheshi, within Tamari’s upper Castle, and was overlooking all of the four villages. The monument is dated to the X-XI centuries. The complex consisted of four towers and a church. Nowadays, unfortunately, you can see only the church, just one tower, and the ruins of two other towers. According to the narration, the lower castle of Chazhashi was the winter residence for king Tamar.
Tower
On the edge to the east of the complex, on the highest point, there is standing Zurab Nizharadze Tower, which is built with wonderful brick-work of large and narrow shale. On the bottom of it, there are used huge cobblestones all around. The tower is wide, with a small entasis. The north and the east walls are very simple. To the east, on the level of third, fourth, and fifth stairs, on different sections of flat surfaces, there are cut-out little dormers. To the west side of the facade, on the third and fourth stages, there are remaining little doorways, with door nests of door handles. According to these remaining, we can suppose, that there were balconies in old times. On the third floor, there is another tiny fan-window. We should also notice how marvelously the bulges are on the fortress, in every corner of the wall, as well as in the center. The castle is perceived as one complete, united dominant structure.
Church
The church of the Chazhashi Lower Castle Complex is very tiny, on the sketch-map, it is quarter shaped, with monumental construction. The lower facade of the hall is accomplished with a wide vaulted apse. The reason is that it was rearranged several times, and piled with good-for-nothing. In the center, there is a huge, right-angled window, the apse of it is uplifted for one stair, and on the chamber’s side, on the whole, height, has slightly stretched outsides. The hall and the apse are divided with unplastered pillars, built with shale. The upper part of the arc and the whole vault are not remained, instead of them, there are boulders, which creates a flattering roof. From the outside, on the west wall, the church has an orthogonal entrance, from the hall side- arcade entrance. It is covered with an enormous, rectangle package header. On the west side, on the wall, there is another fenestra accommodated, which is lower and has deeper lintels, than the apse. The temple does not have the original door, at this point in time, there is a simple, wooden door, which was donated from one of the local men. At the bottom of the linear wall, there is a narrow, small step. The whole interior is utterly plain and plastered, but, unfortunately, the plaster remains only on the north wall.
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