Every self respecting capital needs a Medieval Fortress
The Narikala Fortress dominates the skyline to the South of Tbilisi.
The climb up to it is a steep one.
For some reason I didn't take any pictures of it during the day. This is the least blurry night time one!
The Fortress is a renovation project waiting to happen. As you arrive an old crone comes scampering out from under a tarpaulin and demands money. Whether this is for entrance or just a woman who has spotted easy prey in confused tourists I am still not sure.
When you are through the gate the Fortress has two attractions.
The first is a church in the squareish Georgian style. It was locked.
The second is the rampart wall of the fortress, which is all that remains. You can climb up onto the ramparts and walk along them. The wall is left only on two sides of the church and parts of it have hand rails. The views are wonderful, but also nerve wracking!
For the brave you can climb out onto the other 90% of the wall that extends away from the church and all the way along the ridge. We spent one meal in a rooftop restaurant wondering whether the man who had made it all the way to the end of the wall was there to jump or just contemplating the view. He was alternatively stood with his legs dangling over the edge or standing under the crucifix. After an hour he was seen crawling on his hands and knees back to the start.
Comments
Post a Comment