Narikala ( ka, ნარიყალა) is an ancient fortress overlooking

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...

, the capital of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, and the

Mtkvari The Kura is an east-flowing river south of the Greater Caucasus Mountains which drains the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus east into the Caspian Sea. It also drains the north side of the Lesser Caucasus while its main tributary, the Ar ...

(Kura) River. The fortress consists of two walled sections on a steep hill between the sulfur baths and the botanical gardens of Tbilisi. On the lower court there is the recently restored St Nicholas church. Newly built in 1996–1997, it replaces the original 13th-century church that was destroyed in a fire. The new church is of "prescribed cross" type, having doors on three sides. The internal part of the church is decorated with the frescos showing scenes from both the Bible and the history of Georgia.

History

According to the legend it was built by the king

Vakhtang I Gorgasali Vakhtang I Gorgasali ( ka, ვახტანგ I გორგასალი, tr; or 443 – 502 or 522), of the Chosroid dynasty, was a king of Iberia, natively known as Kartli (eastern Georgia) in the second half of the 5th and first quarter o ...

of ancient

Kingdom of Iberia In Greco-Roman geography, Iberia (Ancient Greek: ''Iberia''; la, Hiberia) was an exonym for the Georgian kingdom of Kartli ( ka, ქართლი), known after its core province, which during Classical Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages ...

. Archaeological studies of the region have however revealed that the territory of Tbilisi was settled by humans as early as the

4th millennium BC The 4th millennium BC spanned the years 4000 BC to 3001 BC. Some of the major changes in human culture during this time included the beginning of the Bronze Age and the invention of writing, which played a major role in starting recorded history. ...

. The earliest written accounts of settlement of the location come from the second half of the 4th century AD, when a fortress was built during King Varaz-Bakur's reign (ca. 364). Towards the end of the 4th century the fortress fell into the hands of the

Persians The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian. ...

, but was recaptured by the kings of Kartli by the middle of the 5th century. It was considerably expanded by the

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...

s in the 7th century and by king David the Builder (1089–1125), respectively. The

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...

renamed it the "Narin Qala" (i.e., "Little Fortress"). Most of extant fortifications date from the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1827, parts of the fortress were damaged by an earthquake, and were subsequently demolished.

Gallery

Narikala fortress, Tbilisi, Georgia.jpg Tbilisi, Narikala, Georgia.jpg Narikala, Tiflis, Georgia, 2016-09-29, DD 91.jpg, View from the center of Tbilisi. Narikala, Tiflis, Georgia, 2016-09-29, DD 45.jpg, Wall at the rear part of the fortress. Kala, Tbilisi.JPG Narikala Tbilisi 2019 2.jpg Narika Tbilisi 2019 5.jpg Narikala, Tiflis, Georgia, 2016-09-29, DD 148-150 HDR.jpg, View by night. Iglesia de San Nicolás, Narikala, Tiflis, Georgia, 2016-09-29, DD 44.jpg, St Nicholas church. Iglesia de San Nicolás, Narikala, Tiflis, Georgia, 2016-09-29, DD 79-81 HDR.jpg, Interior of St Nicholas church.

References

External links

* {{YouTube, TfGuoX_AHuw, Narikala
Narikala on Geocities

Narikala on World66

Narikala on the official website of the City of Tbilisi
Buildings and structures in Tbilisi Castles and forts in Georgia (country) Tourist attractions in Tbilisi