Gonio Fortress (Apsaros)

Gonio Fortress, known in antiquity as Apsaros, is one of the best-preserved Roman forts on the Black Sea. It stands just inland from the beach near the mouth of the Chorokhi river, about 15 km south of Batumi and a few kilometres from the Turkish border. A rectangle of high stone walls with four gates and 22 towers, 18 of which survive, encloses a large grassy interior where archaeologists have uncovered the foundations of Roman buildings, including baths. A small museum on site displays finds from the excavations.

Inside the walls, look for the spot that local Christian tradition venerates as the grave of the Apostle Matthias, one of the twelve apostles. The ancient name Apsaros is linked by legend to Apsyrtus, the brother of Medea in the Argonaut story. Gonio pairs well with an afternoon swim at Gonio or Kvariati beach, both a few minutes away, where the water is often clearer than in Batumi.

Pliny the Elder mentions Apsaros in the 1st century AD, and by the 2nd century it was a strongly garrisoned Roman stronghold in Colchis; the historian Arrian, who inspected it in the 130s AD, recorded five cohorts stationed here. The fort later came under Byzantine influence, and the name Gonio first appears in the 14th century. The Ottomans took it in 1547 and held it until 1878, when Adjara passed to the Russian Empire. The site is now protected as the Gonio-Apsaros Museum-Reserve.