



Ujarma can be distinguished with its greatness
among the fortresses of Georgia. The first note about Ujarma is met in the
middle of the third century. The king Vakhtang Gorgasali constructed it.
During Persians attack, king Vakhtang advised bishop Petre to stay in the
church of St. Razhden, he built in Ujarma, as he hoped no city around Ujarma
could defeat this fortress.
From the beginning of the IV
century till the end of the VIII century Ujarma reminded the strongest
fortress-city.
Ujarma is located in the ravine
of the river Iori, to the right side of Tbilisi-Telavi road on Gambori Pass.
Fortress consisted of two
parts. According the mountain relief, we have down and upper fortresses.
We have two storied building in
the upper fortress – north-east corner. Each floor has three rooms.
According academician N. Berdzenishvili it is the king’s palace.
There is a church on the
territory of upper fortress. It is ancient part (first floor), dated of V
century. The fortress-city had good supply; there are agricultural buildings
and water reservoirs among them.
There are rectangle towers in
the fence of down fortress, it has deaf walls, but inside there are wide
doors and windows with the form of horse-shoe arches.
Great attention must be paid to
the three storied building, it has difficult construction. There was a
corridor to the river Iori and the city was supplied with water, that’s why
it was called “water tower”.
The tower became the main
interest of our annual expedition. The tower was wholly cleaned, researched,
got ready for restoration and the project was fulfilled.
The bits of clay dishes and
tiles were discovered during its cleaning, which proved the importance of
fortress Ujarma. The works done by the club “Temple” gave us new sheets to
read, from the lost book of Ujarma fortress.
A. Pavlenishvili
Architect-restorer


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