# Rabati Castle (Akhaltsikhe)
- URL: https://explore-georgia.ge/en/places/rabati-castle-akhaltsikhe
- Type: place to visit
- Region: Samtskhe-Javakheti
- Coordinates: 41.642667, 42.977056

Rabati is the castle town of Akhaltsikhe. The name is Arabic and means fortress; at first it was the name of the trading quarter, where mainly Jewish merchants and craftsmen lived, and after the rebuilding it came to mean the whole complex.

The complex holds the Akhmediye mosque and its minaret, the madrasa, the Jaqeli castle, the baths, the citadel, the fortress walls and an Orthodox church. The tunnel running down to the Potskhovi has also been restored, along with two main streets, the pavements, the facades and the roofs. The floor area of the buildings is given as 70,000 square metres.

## History

The fortress was built in the ninth century and was first called Lomsia, which means lion. The Georgian Chronicles credit its founding to Guaram Mampali, son of the king of Tao.

At the end of the twelfth century it was renamed Akhaltsikhe, the new fortress, and grew into a real city, with a wall, gates and watch towers.

From the thirteenth century to the end of the fourteenth, Akhaltsikhe was the capital of Samtskhe-Saatabago and the Jaqeli house ruled it. In 1393 the armies of Tamerlane attacked the city, but the fortress held.

After the Treaty of Constantinople of 1590 the country passed into Ottoman hands. In 1752 Haji Ahmed-Pasha Jaqeli built a mosque inside the castle; it served for 76 years, until 1828.

In 1810 a first Russian attempt on the fortress failed; 18 years later Paskevich stormed it in the battle of Akhaltsikhe. The Treaty of Adrianople of 1829 gave the country to Russia.

In 1850, by order of the Russian emperor, the mosque was consecrated as a church of the Virgin; it served as a church until 1920.

The rebuilding of the complex began in May 2011 and finished in 2012.

## Visit info

Rabati stands in the town of Akhaltsikhe. The complex has two parts. The upper, historic part holds the Jaqeli castle, which houses the history museum of Samtskhe-Javakheti, the Akhmediye mosque, the madrasa, the pasha's tomb, the Orthodox church, the citadel and an amphitheatre. The lower, modern part is given over to visitors, with a hotel, a restaurant, cafés, a wine cellar and shops. Check the current hours and price on the spot.

## Tips

From the towers of the castle the town of Akhaltsikhe is in view. Bear in mind that much of the complex was rebuilt and completed in 2011 and 2012 rather than preserved from the past. Together with Vardzia, Rabati is one of the main sights of Samtskhe-Javakheti.

## Safety

Take care on the stairs of the walls and towers, especially after rain, when the stone can be slippery. Keep hold of children near the walls.

## Sources

- [Akhaltsikhe (Rabati) Castle — English Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabati_Castle)
- [Akhaltsikhe fortress — Georgian Wikipedia](https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/რაბათის_ციხე)
- [Akhaltsikhe fortress — Russian Wikipedia](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ахалцихская_крепость)

## This page in other languages

- [ქართული](https://explore-georgia.ge/ka/adgilebi/rabatis-tsikhe-akhaltsikhe)
- [Русский](https://explore-georgia.ge/ru/mesta/krepost-rabati-akhalcikhe)