Manavi Fortress

Manavi Fortress Complex - a fortress in Kakheti, near the village of Manavi, Sagarejo Municipality, on a high mountain. This place represented one of the distinguished centers of the last period of feudal Kakheti.

The old construction layer of the castle belongs to the X-XI centuries, the new XVI-XVII centuries. The castle got its name from the village. It consists of two parts: on the elevated ground stands the citadel, which is surrounded by a lower fortress to the east. The castle has an inner fence, the entrance was located from the north. The fortress has four towers, the surrounding area is well visible from the castle. Currently, there are three churches on the territory of the castle: the small and big church of the Virgin and St. George church.

The complex includes the following buildings:

• Internal fortress, citadel - reservoir palace, ruins of a large tower house, small tower, big tower house; The ruins of a two-story building;
  
• Churches - 3 hall churches;
• Lower castle;
• Reservoir;
• Fence;

History

Manavi Fortress was one of the significant centers of feudal Kakheti in recent centuries. The castle was distinguished by its strategic importance. It was erected on the top of a raised mountain that dominates this side. The valley can be seen in both directions for almost 10-15 km distance. Vakhushti Batonishvili (Georgian royal prince geographer, historian, and cartographer) explains: “Manavi is at the foot of Hereti mountain, where Imam-Kuli Khan built a palace. At the foot of the mountain. The castle has been demolished. " According to this information, when Vakhushti left for Russia in 1724, Manavi was living a full life, and the old fortress there was "demolished".

Historians give us some references to the first two decades of the eighteenth century, but it is not known what happened before or after. From the beginning of the XVIII century, King David II of Kakheti (Imam-Kuli Khan) made Manavi his residence and he ruled the country from here. Apparently, the buildings standing there before were not enough, and he built a palace. The chronicler writes that due to the violence of the Lezghins he no longer could stay in Karaghaji and "left Imam-Kuli Sskhan Karaghaji and had a palace in Telavi and Manavi and stayed there in winter." That Manavi was the center at that time is obvious from the fact that King Teimuraz II had his wedding in 1712 here and spent the following years (chronicler).

No records are obtained about the fortress after that. Later we have a reference from Guldenstedt who passed through here in 1772. After passing Sagarejo, he enters Manavi and writes: “This village is almost destroyed; A small number of the surviving inhabitants took refuge in a narrow fence on a steep hill to the north", - This is the last historical source that mentions Manavi Castle in previous centuries.