Narikala Fortress

Narikala is the fortress that crowns the ridge above Old Tbilisi, between the sulphur baths and the Botanical Garden. What survives is a long line of stone walls and towers running along the crest, with the rebuilt Church of St Nicholas inside the lower enclosure. Most visitors come for the view. From the walls you look straight down onto the brick domes of Abanotubani, the curve of the Mtkvari, the glass roof of the Bridge of Peace and the gold domes of Sameba Cathedral on the far bank.

The easiest way up is the cable car from Rike Park on the left bank, which crosses the river in a few minutes. You can also walk up from Abanotubani or the Betlemi stairs in 15–20 minutes. The walls are uneven and unfenced in places, so take care, especially with children. From the fortress a path runs west along the ridge to the Mother of Georgia statue, and the Botanical Garden fills the valley behind.

Written sources place the fortress in the 4th century, in the reign of King Varaz-Bakur, and it fell to the Persians before the end of that century. The Umayyad Arabs expanded it considerably in the 7th century, and later Georgian kings and, in the 17th century, Persian-backed rulers of Kartli strengthened it again. An earthquake in 1827 damaged much of the fortress, and parts were then demolished. The original 13th-century St Nicholas Church burned down; the present church was built in 1996–1997.