Life has never been calm in the Caucasus. Throughout the history of the Caucasus, there were a lot of people who wanted to subjugate it. However, no one has succeeded. This is explained primarily by the fact that the conquerors every time faced fearless local residents who were ready to fight for their lands to the last drop of blood. It was for this purpose - to protect their homes from invaders - that the famous Svan towers, a kind of symbol of Svaneti, were built.
Svaneti is a region of Georgia
Svaneti is an unusual and peculiar region in the north-west of Georgia. Everything here is unusual and special. Starting with a language that you will not find anywhere else in any region of Georgia, and ending with an unusual landscape and architecture. A distinctive feature of this area is the Svan towers. Photos of these unusual buildings, of course, cannot fully convey the atmosphere of those distant times when they were built.
Svans - who are they?
Svans are a subgroup of Georgians who speak their own unwritten language. The history of this people goes back to the reign of Queen Tamara, and the first mention of them can be found in the works of ancient authors. The culture of the Svans - the Christian faith and writing - is close to Georgian and is an integral part of it. The Svans are one of the few peoples who practiced blood feud. Legends about their cruelty, vindictiveness and savagery still circulate. The inhabitants of Svaneti to this day have retained their unusual language, traditions, and even tribal system. This is explained by the fact that Svaneti is located in relative isolation and getting there is not so easy. The Svans themselves rarely descended from the mountains and preferred to live apart. However, the most remarkable and famous symbol of these lands are still the famous Svan towers. Georgia still attracts tourists with these unusual buildings.
The history of the towers
The history of these towers goes back to the distant and troubled Middle Ages. They were built in the town of Mestia, which is the administrative center of Svaneti. The typical landscape of the city is formed by small villages located on mountain slopes, with gorges, alpine valleys and peaks covered with snow all year round. Such a landscape did not allow protecting the city with a protective wall due to the fragmentation of residential buildings. Therefore, each house was equipped with a similar structure, which served as a refuge for the family in case of an enemy attack.
Svan towers: what were they built for?
Besides this, the towers were equipped with signal lights designed to warn other residents of the city about the attack. In the event of an approaching danger, a fire was lit on the main tower. As soon as this flame was seen on the nearest tower, a fire ignited there too. This process was repeated over and over again until all the gorges were ready for battle. These towers usually had three to five floors. The wall thickness decreased closer to the top. There is no analogue of these unique protective structures anywhere in the world.
Design Features
The towers were attached on one side to an ordinary residential building. Each tower had at least three floors, between which wooden floors were laid. There were no windows or loopholes on the first floor. It is assumed that it was here that not only the whole family, but also livestock took refuge during the enemy attack. A hearth was built in the center to heat the room. Above it is a stone slab designed to protect the wooden floors from burning through. The second floor served as the entrance directly to the tower. Livestock feed, weapons and tools were also stored here. It was possible to get to the other floors with the help of wooden stairs through narrow hatches. All other floors were equipped with loopholes.
Interesting facts
- The Svan towers, the purpose of which we have considered, are named so, of course, in honor of Svaneti. In general, a long time ago this region of Georgia was called the "countrythousand towers. In the Middle Ages, there were really a lot of these structures. Of course, over time, some of them were destroyed.
- The "youngest" tower is about 200 years old, and most of them were built between the 8th and 13th centuries.
- Despite the fact that the purpose of all the towers was almost the same, there were two types of them - sentry and generic. The first were built on the outskirts and served to alert residents of the approaching danger. The second adjoined residential buildings and were intended for shelter.
- Each family (clan) had to have its own tower. The height of the building and its strength directly depended on how many men were in the family, what was the we alth. In other words, one could judge the well-being of an entire clan or clan by the ancestral tower.
- The watchtowers were several meters taller than the generic ones.
- Getting inside these buildings at that time was not so easy. This could only be done through a specially built tunnel that led to the tower directly from the residential building - Machuba.
- The Svan towers were built of stone. Despite the lack of architectural education among the ancient Svans, these structures were extremely durable, seismic and avalanche resistant. At the end of the 80s, earthquakes in Georgia were a fairly common phenomenon, but most of the buildings have survived to this day and will probably stand for more than a dozen years.
- In peacetime, the Svan towers of Mestia were used as a kind of "refrigerators" - cellars for storing food.
- It is believed that small windows on each offloors of the tower at that turbulent time served as loopholes. However, in fact, they are so narrow that they could hardly serve precisely for these purposes. Most likely, their main purpose is lighting and ventilation.
- There are two towns in Svaneti where most of the Svan towers have been preserved: Mestia and Ushguli. The buildings in these cities are almost the same and differ only in color. This is due to the fact that different materials were used in the construction.
- Svan towers still retain their original appearance. This is explained by the fact that medieval buildings are the heritage of UNESCO. In this regard, any actions related not only to restoration, but even to repair are prohibited. To do this, you must obtain a special permit. In this regard, many towers are on the verge of destruction.
- In modern Georgia, you can find buildings that replicate historical monuments as accurately as possible. Entrepreneurial Georgians arrange hotels there and offer numerous tourists to plunge into the atmosphere of the Middle Ages.
Svaneti today
Currently, the Svan towers are one of the main attractions of Georgia. Tourists come here to plunge into the atmosphere of the Middle Ages and admire the surroundings. Many of the towers are abandoned, and if desired and with a certain amount of courage, you can even climb inside and wander around the floors. Of course, in Svaneti today there are many buildings built in a modern style, but all of them have not violated the overall flavor, so those who go on a tripin Georgia, they will definitely enjoy this unusual combination of antiquity and modernity.
What else to see in Svaneti
In addition to the famous towers, there are other attractions in Svaneti:
- Koruldi Lakes.
- Chalaadi Glacier.
- Mount Hatsvali, where the ski resort is located.
- Mountains Ushba and Shkhelda, which are rightfully considered one of the most difficult climbs in all of Europe.
- Church of Christ, which preserved ancient icons.
- Museum of History and Ethnography.
- Temple of the Transfiguration of the 19th century.
