Archaeological site · Nokalakevi, Senaki Municipality, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
Nokalakevi
ნოქალაქევი · Archaeopolis · Tsikhegoji · Nokalakevi Museum-Reserve
The ruined fortified town of Tsikhegoji, called Archaeopolis by Byzantine writers, in a loop of the Tekhuri river in Samegrelo; now a museum-reserve with walls, Roman-style baths and a 6th-century church.
Where it is
42.3572, 42.1939
Why go
The town spread over some twenty hectares in three parts: a main quarter for nobles and clergy, slopes for the garrison, and an inner fortress and citadel on the plateau above, all using the gorge the Tekhuri has cut as a defence. Most of it survives only as ruins, but the excavated baths show a comfortable everyday life, and the on-site museum displays finds going back to the 8th–7th centuries BC. The 6th-century Church of the Forty Holy Martyrs stands within the reserve. Some place Aia, the Colchian city of the Golden Fleece story, here; that is legend, not an established identification.
Near Nokalakevi
Canyon
Martvili Canyon
A limestone canyon on the Abasha river near Gachedili, with a walkway along the water and short boat trips through the narrow section.
19 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ
Canyon
Balda Canyon
A narrow limestone canyon cut by the Abasha river near Second Balda in Martvili municipality — about 1.4 km long, 5–10 m wide and 25–30 m deep — protected as a natural monument.
23 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ
Monastery
Khobi Monastery
Also known as Nojikhevi Monastery, this 13th–14th-century complex just north of the town of Khobi kept a robe venerated as the Virgin Mary's in a silver reliquary until Soviet rule, after which its relics went to the museum in Zugdidi.
24 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ
Waterfall
Kaghu Waterfall
A moss-covered waterfall in the Abasha valley near Balda, twenty minutes on foot from Balda Monastery and a short drive from Martvili Canyon.
24 km · straight-line distance; driving distance and time differ