Fortress Nari-Kala

The beautiful fortress of Nari-Kala is situated in the capital of Georgia, in the centre of the old town, and is one of the city’s most famous attractions. The fortress sits proudly on a hill and offers a magnificent view of the city. Bordering the Tbilisi Botanical Garden, the fortress is very easy to find as it is visible from all corners of the Old Town. Unfortunately, only half of the building remains today, telling us of the fortress’s long and valiant history.

Nari-kala Fortress is the later name of the castle of Tbilisi – Kala. The first written mention of it was by the German traveller Johann Guldenstedt in 1772.
According to one version of the story, King Varaz-Bakur built a fortress here in the 4th century, which was later conquered by Sasanian Iran and is referred to in historical sources as the ‘Schuri Fortress’.
It was considerably expanded in the 7th century and later by Davit Agmashenebeli (1089-1125). The Mongols, who invaded later, called it ‘Narin Qala’ (‘small fortress’). The main fortifications that are still standing today date from the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1827, a large part of the castle wall was damaged and destroyed by an earthquake.
Until the 17th century, the ‘Royal Palace’ was located inside the castle, near the entrance tunnel. After the annexation of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti by Russia (1801), the fortress lost its former importance and was converted into a munitions depot for the Russian army. The munitions were stored in various locations, including St Nicholas Cathedral, which exploded after being struck by lightning in 1847.

Today, the Nari-Kara fortress is visited by many tourists. There are two ways to reach the fortress. Either on foot from the Maidan and Shefäbedern or from the Botanical Garden in Tbilisi, or by cable car from Europaplatz. The ride in the cable car is particularly beautiful, flying over the Kura River and offering a view of the entire old town from above.

We recommend that our guests take the cable car to Nari-Kala Fortress and from there walk either to the Botanical Garden or to the Sulphur Hills. There are many lovely cafes and restaurants at the foot of the castle where you can rest. These beautiful sights are also on the programme of our city tours in Tbilisi, which are part of trips such as a round trip in Georgia or a photo tour in Georgia.