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Fortress · Ananuri, Dusheti Municipality, Mtskheta-Mtianeti

Ananuri Fortress

ანანურის ციხე · Ananuri · Ananuri fortified ensemble

A 17th-century fortified ensemble beside the Zhinvali Reservoir on the Georgian Military Highway, where two churches, towers and a turreted wall stand together.

Ananuri fortress above the Zhinvali reservoir: curtain walls and towers enclosing two stone churches, with wooded Caucasus foothills behind.
The Ananuri ensemble above the Zhinvali reservoir, in autumn. · Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons / CC0

Where it is

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42.1636, 44.7039

Why go

The larger church, built in 1689, is the one to study: its façades carry fine relief carvings of human, animal and plant figures, including a carved north entrance, and inside are remains of 17th–18th-century murals that include the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers. Some of the dukes of Aragvi are buried in the Church of the Virgin. A tower with a stepped pyramidal roof of Svan type rises within the walls. UNESCO's tentative-list entry notes that the reservoir has changed how the ensemble is seen, since water now lies right below it. It is a natural stop on the drive north towards Stepantsminda.

Base yourself nearby

city

Tbilisi

Georgia’s capital is a layered city of old balconies, sulfur baths, hillside neighborhoods, contemporary restaurants and centuries of history along the Mtkvari River.

Historic town

Mtskheta

Mtskheta was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Iberia and is the place where Georgia adopted Christianity in the fourth century. Today it is a small, walkable town twenty kilometres from Tbilisi holding Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, the hilltop church of Jvari, the working convent of Samtavro and the archaeological remains of the pre-Christian royal city, inscribed together on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is simultaneously Georgia's most important pilgrimage destination and its most accessible serious historical site.

Getting here

How to get to Ananuri Fortress

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Vehicle

Vehicle suitability unknown

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Road last checked 2026-09-11.

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Ways to book this trip

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  • Guided tour · skygate

    Kazbegi Day Trip

    A guided day trip along the Georgian Military Highway to Stepantsminda, with stops at Ananuri Fortress, the Friendship Monument and Gergeti Trinity Church. Check the current itinerary and booking details on SkyGate.

    View tour

Near Ananuri Fortress

Ways to visit

Trips that visit this place

Bookable experiences that include it.

Kazbegi Day Trip

A guided day trip along the Georgian Military Highway to Stepantsminda, with stops at Ananuri Fortress, the Friendship Monument and Gergeti Trinity Church. Check the current itinerary and booking details on SkyGate.

View Kazbegi tour on SkyGate

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