3 / 5 - One review
How to get there
20 minutes by car from Senaki
When to go
All year round
Minimum stay
One day
Nokalakevi (Georgia)
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Practical information on Nokalakevi
Reviews of Nokalakevi
Nokalakevi is a major archaeological site in western Georgia, and the biggest in Mingrelia. The extremely well preserved ruins of this 6th century fortress dominate the River Tekhuri and the Colchis plain.
My suggestion:
Whether you are coming from Senaki or Kutaisi you should continue your trip along the Tekhuri as far as Martvili, which is the most beautiful monaqstery in Mingrelia.
My review
When you arrive at the bridge over the Tekhuri River, a place where the flat plains become a promontory of hills, it is difficult not to be impressed by Nokalakevi. The size of these walls, dating from the 4th to 8th centuries, give you some idea of the size this fortress must have been in its heyday.
If you love historic sites then you will love the archaeological site of Nokalakevi, which, because of the good conservation of its walls and foundations, is one of Georgia's most interesting sites. Isn't it miraculous that we can see such extensive remains, even though Nokalakevi was destroyed by the Arabs in the 8th century, and then forgotten until a team of German archaeologists dug it up in 1930?
From the 4th to the 8th century, Nokalakevi was the capital of Lazica, a Lazes kingdom, which became Mingrelia. The site's museum has a good collection of objects which can help you revive the era when Nokalakevi was a powerful and prosperous town.
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