Description of the attraction
The Khosta fortress, located in the northeast of a yew and boxwood grove, on the right bank of the Khosta River, is one of the main attractions of the region.
The Khosta fortress, which can be seen today on the top of a rocky cliff, is the remains of an ancient defensive structure. The fortress belongs to the early medieval fortifications of the region. It was built around the 7th - 10th century. AD
The Khosta fortress was built so that its eastern, northern and western parts were protected by natural precipices. The southern part was fortified with a defensive line of a wall, rampart, gate and three towers. During the construction of the walls, the soil was removed to the rocky area. They were built gradually, in narrow tiers 5-6 m high. At the top, the walls were decorated with battlements. The walls were laid with stone blocks in compliance with the rows in the shell, as well as backing from broken stone on a limestone solution with an admixture of fine gravel and sea sand.
The towers consisted of two or three tiers with an upper battle area and multi-storey wooden beams. The height of the three-story tower was 11 m. The fortress gate had an arched ceiling, a stone threshold, a log fence and a massive boardwalk. Fragments of walls and the remains of four towers have survived to this day.
The south-eastern corner of the Khosta fortress was protected by a tower preserved to a height of 4.5 m. On the western side of the tower there is a loophole. Outside, at the southeastern corner, is a wall with a groove for a log bolt. The second tower, which has the shape of an irregular rectangle at the base, is located 45 meters from the first. Two tiers of grooves are visible in the eastern and western walls of the tower. Each floor has a height of 1, 7-1, 8 m. The second and third towers are separated by only 11 m. Unfortunately, the last tower is very poorly preserved. A little to the west of the gate, a buttress was located in the fortress wall, which protected the gate. The last tower is located just 10 m from it, the height of which was originally at least 11 m.
