Keselo Fortress

Keselo is a group of stone defence towers on a rocky ridge just above Upper Omalo, and the best-known image of Tusheti. The towers are built of flat local stone in the traditional Tush way, tall and narrow with small openings and pyramid-shaped slate roofs. From the top you look down over both parts of Omalo and across Tusheti's valleys to the main ridge of the Caucasus. It is a short, steep walk from the village, and one of the best places in Tusheti to watch the sunset.

There were originally 13 towers, and by the 20th century most were in ruins. Restoration began in 2003, funded first by a Dutch family and later by the Keselo Foundation, and five towers have been rebuilt using medieval Tush building methods. During the work, archaeologists found rock-art motifs and Bronze Age axes and jewellery. Entry is free. The ridge is exposed to wind and sun, so bring a layer and a hat, and take care on the loose ground between the towers.

The towers were built in the 1230s, during the Mongol invasion of Georgia, when the people of Omalo used them as a refuge. They later sheltered villagers during raids from Dagestan. Most fell into ruin in the 20th century as people left the mountains. Restoration began in 2003, privately sponsored by Henk and Eliane Hooft and later by the Keselo Foundation, which also rebuilt a tower at Khiso on the road to Omalo.