Description of the attraction
The Gagra Fortress, located at the entrance to the City of Gagra, at the mouth of the Zhoekvara River, is one of the ancient defensive structures of Old Gagra. The remains of the citadel adjoin the western side of the Seaside Park.
The construction of the architectural complex dates from the 2nd to the 11th century. At the same time, it is generally accepted that the Gagra fortress was founded in the V century. The defensive structure was built as a defense against enemy tribes. Whether the Abazgs or the Romans built the fortress is not known for sure. The fortification closed the Zhoekvarskoye gorge and blocked the way from east to west. According to historians and scientists, in the XIV-XV centuries. The Genoese, who founded the Kakara trading post on the territory of the modern city, settled in one of the parts of the fortress in order to trade with the ancient Abkhaz tribes. Subsequently, this coastal tower was named Genoese. During the late Middle Ages, the citadel became a refuge for the Abkhaz tribes. In 1830 it was occupied by Russian troops, who built bastions here and rebuilt the fortress walls with loopholes for guns and cannons. The fortress became the site of military battles between Abkhazians and Russian troops. At the beginning of the XX century. Abaatu was destroyed for the construction of a hotel in its place.
Time became the main factor in the loss of the fortress. Only a part of the wall and the Gagra temple of St. Hypatius have survived to this day. The temple is located in the very center of the fortress. Its walls are made of huge blocks of limestone, which reach 1.5 m in diameter. The surviving structure of the temple dates back to the VI century. AD, while there is an assumption that the church was built no earlier than the X century. from the stones of the dismantled fortress wall. The Church of St. Hypatius has a rectangular shape with two annexes. The road to the temple - a cypress alley - is paved with limestone slabs.
Today on the territory of the Gagra Fortress there are the Gagra Museum of History and Local Lore "Abaata", a hotel and a restaurant.
