One of the most interesting attractions located near Batumi is the ruins of the Petra fortress, located 30 minutes drive from Batumi towards Kobuleti in the village of Tsikhisdziri.
However, this route is not very popular among tourists, and many do not even know about it. This is explained by the fact that Petra is located away from all the main promoted attractions of Adjara, so it is rarely included in the tourist routes of guides.
However, it is highly recommended to visit this place – it breathes antiquity, silence and solitude. It is pleasant to walk here, look at numerous artifacts, imagine what kind of life was in full swing within these walls, from which now there are ruins, however, well preserved.
The remains of the fortress are located between the central road and the sea coast, on a significant elevation, so from here there is a magnificent view of the endless sea surface. There is an opinion that Petra is the same Kaj fortress, which is repeatedly mentioned in Shota Rustaveli’s poem “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin”.
Petra is the second largest and most important fortress in Adjara after the fortress in Gonio. And it offers almost the same magnificent view as another famous citadel – Khikhani.
If you stand at the highest point of the Petra fortress on the ruins of one of the wide ancient walls and look at the sea, then on the right hand side in the distance you will see the city of Kobuleti and the light coastline, and on the left on the horizon you will see the outlines of Batumi with its characteristic recognizable silhouettes of buildings.
In addition, on the left you can see a picturesque elegant building standing right on the edge of the cliff – this is the Castello Mare hotel. In Soviet times, the Nauka boarding house was located on its site and the famous film Amphibian Man was filmed here; the building appeared in the film as the house of Ichthyander’s father.
View of the Castello Mare hotel from Petra
View of the hotel from the other side, from Tsikhisdziri beach
The name of the Petra fortress should be pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, it comes from the Greek word meaning “stone, rock”. The unique location of the fortress on the top of a steep cliff made it practically invulnerable from the sea, and from the land it was protected by powerful stone walls and natural rock relief. For this reason, the fortress is also called “Gareji” – enchanted.
Today, the full name of the fortress is Petra-Tsikhe, an archaeological and architectural museum-reserve. It occupies an area of about 2 hectares, and the territory is about 200 meters long and about 100 meters wide.
History of Petra Fortress
Petra was built by the Byzantines during the reign of Emperor Justinian the Great in the 6th century AD. The construction lasted for several decades – from 527 to 565. But according to existing historical information, the first settlements on this site were much earlier – in the 4th-5th centuries BC.
Archaeologists have managed to discover cultural layers from the late Bronze Age to the late Middle Ages. Over the following centuries, the fortress was conquered by the Persians, periodically returned to the Byzantines, and in the first half of the 18th century, Petra was part of the Ottoman Empire.
Few people know, but brutal and bloody battles took place here during the Russo-Turkish wars in the 19th century. The Russian army suffered huge losses, but could not capture this fortress. Only in 1878, the fortress, like Batumi, was recaptured from the Turks.
During the Soviet Union, in the 1930s, it was decided to use the unique territory as a lemon nursery – a lemonarium. For this purpose, a multi-level concrete structure, previously glazed, was built along the outer slope of the fortress. These stepped green terraces almost completely hid the fortress from the road.
After the collapse of the USSR, the lemonarium fell into disrepair, gradually collapsed, and now only the concrete supports, located in several tiers, are preserved, which are overgrown with ivy and wild vegetation. This incredible symbiosis of greenery and stone, antiquity and modernity is a fascinating, almost otherworldly, sight. From afar, it resembles one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Remains of the Limonarium around Petra
How to get to Petra
The fortress is located 15 km north of Batumi, on the highway leading to Kobuleti. The most convenient way to get there is by car, the trip from Batumi will take no more than 25-30 minutes.
The road itself is also very picturesque – it is almost a mountain serpentine, from which a beautiful view of the green mountains and small two-story private houses located among them opens.
The highway runs close to the walls of the fortress, there is a noticeable sign on it, it is impossible to get lost here. In front of the fortress there is a stylish modern pavilion with a mini museum and a ticket office. The entrance costs 5 lari. Open from 10.00 to 18.00
There is a large free equipped parking lot nearby. Even too big for such a location.
What is interesting in Petra Fortress
Beyond the gates begins a wide path, allowing you to begin exploring the area clockwise – from left to right. On one side of the road, high stone walls rise up.
The road leads to the edge of the cliff, at the bottom of which a sharp precipice begins. At this peak you can take stunningly beautiful photos against the backdrop of the sea merging with the horizon. From here you can also partially see the secluded beautiful beach located below.
You can take some really beautiful shots with a drone
In general, Petra looks rather abandoned and deserted, its territory cannot be called well-kept, but it is not completely abandoned either. There is no excessively high grass, randomly scattered boulders or fragments of walls threatening to collapse – it feels like invisible hands are watching over the fortress and maintaining it in its current, mothballed state.
Perhaps the most dangerous place on the territory is a practically invisible well, which has no frame or any other designation, except for a cover of several bamboo sticks. You need to be careful – this is a deep and completely invisible hole with a diameter of no more than 1 meter, into which both a child and an adult can fall.
The well is located approximately in the middle of the fortress, a few dozen centimeters from the path leading from the center to the concrete supports of the lemonarium. The depth of the well is about 20 meters, it began to be cleaned as part of one of the archaeological expeditions, but they were never able to reach the water level. Tourists visiting Petra throw stones into the well, wanting to determine the depth of the hole using the sound of the fallen object, thereby throwing it deeper and deeper.
During its long and difficult history, the fortress has undergone many structural changes – the walls and objects inside the perimeter were completed and improved at different times.
The 7-meter double walls with loopholes and embrasures for guns, as well as several massive towers, have been preserved. The most noticeable structures are located in the center of the territory – this is the foundation of a three-nave basilica with fragments of external cladding and a bathhouse.
Now in the space of the basilica on the preserved semblance of a stone altar and in the corner near it, an improvised iconostasis with several icons, lamps and candles has been arranged.
In addition to the above, on the territory of the ancient fortress of Petra there are the following interesting objects:
- A food storage room, a semi-submerged structure with a stone arch and steps. The thick stone walls kept the small space cool for long periods of time.
- A half-ruined clay bowl built into the ground, where rainwater now collects, used to be a reservoir for storing drinking water. According to another assumption, these are the remains of an oven for baking Georgian bread “shoti”.
- Between the several tiers of the lemonarium, cascading down, there are paths where you can walk. There is also a staircase leading down to the road, but it ends with a locked gate.
- Try to find a small Georgian Orthodox cross, almost unnoticeable, laid out in the masonry of one of the many high stone walls. Hint: it is located in the wall, which is the end of the path that runs along the upper part of the lemonarium.
The cross is on the wall on the right, next to the old entrance to the fortress.
The territory of Petra is very atmospheric, here you can feel the breath of eternity – this is not a decoration, this is a real story, created by the hands of people who lived here 1,500 years ago. This place can also be very romantic – sometimes they arrange outdoor wedding ceremonies here, on a cliff overlooking the sea. Very beautiful photos can be taken at sunset, but you should take into account the opening hours – at 18.00 the gates close.
Tsikhisdziri Beach
If you stand facing the main gate of the fortress, a few meters to the left you will see a road – this is the descent to the local beach. It is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Adjara.
For a full review of the beaches of Batumi and Adjara, follow this link
There are usually few people here, the sea is clean and the air is wonderful, saturated with essential oils of the fir and eucalyptus trees growing nearby. A holiday in this area will be beneficial for people with respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and neurotic diseases.
Tsikhisdziri Beach is divided into two parts: before the Castello Mare Hotel (you need to drive to it before the pass) and after the hotel. You can get to this part of the beach either by the road next to Petra or by turning right after the pass.
What to see near Petra
A visit to the Petra Fortress can be combined with a tour of other nearby attractions – the Batumi Botanical Garden, Kobuleti, Batumi, Mtirala National Park, Tsitsianatela and Miniatures amusement parks.
More about Batumi and Georgia:
Best hotels in the mountains of Georgia
Souvenirs – what to bring from Georgia as a gift
The Best Adjarian Khachapuri in Batumi. Top 5 Places
My name is Vitaly Kibitlevsky, I am a tour guide and creator of unique quests in Batumi. If you want to walk around the city with a fascinating storyteller or plunge into an exciting adventure, write to the mail: vitkibit@gmail.com
Find out more about me and my projects here