At the top of Mount Chahati, rising beautifully at an altitude of 1150 meters above sea level, the mysterious Elia Fortress greets you. This medieval architectural masterpiece, located in the Kobuleti municipality of Adjara, seems to rise from antiquity without fully revealing its secrets.
Built on the edge of a massive rock, the fortress has an oval shape, with fragments of the fence rising 3-4 meters, like guardians of time. Once used as a reconnaissance and observation post, it remains partially unexplored, giving us only mysterious legends.
According to one of them, the Elia Fortress itself was built by Elia Diasamidze, who, according to legend, used it to hide kidnapped captives. Another legend is silent about the times of Ottoman rule, when this camp was a place of slave trading.
The walls of the fortress, built using massive cobblestones and wild sandstone, are 1 meter thick, and on the north side there used to be a tower, now, unfortunately, lost its way through the centuries. The remains of various buildings inside the fortress speak of the rich history hidden behind its walls.
The two approaches leading to the Elia Fortress from the settlements of Natskhavatevi and Gogmachauri promise an exciting journey into the past, filling you with delight as you discover the secrets of this majestic structure. Step into a world of mystery and history, where every stone breathes legends, and the Elia Fortress will become a gateway to the past, revealing to you the richness of the Georgian cultural heritage.
