წეფთის ციხე

Abstract

Tsepta fortress is situated in Imerkhevi (located in Tao-Klarjeti, now in Turkey) near yayla (highland) of village Ustamis (contemporary Turkish name of the village is Eskikale that mean old fortress). Despite the study of separate episodes from history of Tsepta fortress the complex research (taking into consideration the resources available to the Georgian researchers) has never been made about this fortress until the recent times. Tsepta fortification is constructed on rocky ridges and looks over Shavshetistskali and Imerkhevistskali gorges. Territory of the fortress is 450 m2. It is quite damaged and the remnants of the construction are seen only on foundation level. The wall of the fortress is destroyed and it is hard to imagine the scale of the construction, but in the highest preserved point the height of the wall reaches 9 meters. Thickness of the wall varies from 1 meter to 2.1 meters. Western part of the wall, which looks over the road that leads us to the fortress, seems to be the most massive. In the northeast section outside the Tsepta’s wall, below 10 meters tworoom building is constructed. It is obvious that it had an economic function. In the historical records Tsepta fortress is mentioned concerning the events of 10th- 11th centuries, but its construction must be dated earlier. Presumably, fortress was constructed during the ancient period, but after the Arab invasions this fortification as well as the other fortresses of Shavshet-Klarjeti were ruined and became empty. The restoration of those fortresses was connected with the rule of Ashot I Kourapalates in the 9th century and Tsepta fortress was presumably reestablished during this period.