Gonio ( ka, გონიოს ციხე, previously called Apsarus or Apsaros () and Apsyrtus or Apsyrtos (Ἄψυρτος)) is a Roman fortification in

Adjara Adjara ( ka, აჭარა ''Ach’ara'' ) or Achara, officially known as the Autonomous Republic of Adjara ( ka, აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა ''Ach’aris Avt’onomiuri Resp’ublik’a ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, on the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

, 15 km south of

Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ), historically Batum or Batoum, is the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), second-largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast ...

, at the mouth of the Chorokhi river. The village sits 4 km north of the Turkish border. Its name was connected with the myth of

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...

and her brother Absyrtus. The oldest reference to the fortress is by

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

in the ''

Natural History Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

'' (1st century AD). There is also a reference to the ancient name of the site in

Appian Appian of Alexandria (; ; ; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who prospered during the reigns of the Roman Emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius. He was born c. 95 in Alexandria. After holding the senior offices in the pr ...

’s ''Mithridatic Wars''App. Mithr. 15.101. (2nd century AD). In the 2nd century AD it was a well-fortified Roman city within

Colchis In classical antiquity and Greco-Roman geography, Colchis (; ) was an exonym for the Georgian polity of Egrisi ( ka, ეგრისი) located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, centered in present-day western Georgia. Its population, the ...

. The town was also known for its theatre and hippodrome.

Procopius Procopius of Caesarea (; ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; ; – 565) was a prominent Late antiquity, late antique Byzantine Greeks, Greek scholar and historian from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman general Belisarius in Justinian I, Empe ...

, writing in the 6th century, speaks of the remains of its public buildings as proving that it was once a place of some importance. It later came under Byzantine influence. The name "Gonio" is first attested in

Michael Panaretos Michael Panaretos (; ) was an official of the Trapezuntine empire and a Greek historian. His sole surviving work is a chronicle of the Trapezuntine empire of Alexios I Komnenos and his successors. This chronicle not only provides a chronological f ...

in the 14th century. In addition, there was a short-lived Genoese trade factory at the site. In 1547, Gonio was taken by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, who held it until 1878, when, via the San-Stefano Treaty, Adjara became part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. In the fall of 1647, according to

Evliya Çelebi Dervish Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi (), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman explorer who travelled through his home country during its cultural zenith as well as neighboring lands. He travelled for over 40 years, rec ...

, Gonio was captured by a

Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...

navy of 70 chaikas, but quickly recovered by Ghazi Sidi Ahmed, ruler of the

Tortum Tortum (; ; ) is a municipality and district of Erzurum Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,463 km2, and its population is 15,259 (2022). The current mayor is Muammer Yiğider from the Justice and Development Party (AKP). History Tortum was pa ...

sanjak, with a force of 1,000 Turks and 3,000 "Mingrelians". Gonio Fortress

The grave of

Saint Matthias Matthias (; Koine Greek: , , from Hebrew ; ; died ) was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, chosen by God through the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter's betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death. His calling as ...

, one of the

twelve apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...

, is believed to be inside the Gonio fortress. This is unverifiable as the Georgian government currently prohibits digging near the supposed graveside. Other archaeological excavations are however taking place on the grounds of the fortress, focusing on Roman layers. Gonio is currently experiencing a tourism boom. Most tourists come from Tbilisi in the summer months to enjoy beaches that are generally regarded as cleaner than

's beaches (located 15 km to the north).

Archaeological investigations

From 1995, the Gornio-Apsarus archaeological expedition has carried out investigations at the Roman fort. The Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the

University of Warsaw The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public university, public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well ...

funded photogrammetric, topographical, and geophysical surveys of the site in 2012.

Layout

The fortress is rectangular, and was built with four gates and 22 towers along the circuit of walls enclosing the site; 18 of the towers still survive.

Notes

References

Kakhidze, Emzar, Recent Archaeological Finds in Apsarus
Third International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities, 2005. {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Adjara Tourist attractions in Adjara Batum oblast Roman legionary fortresses in Georgia Immovable Cultural Monuments of National Significance of Georgia Roman fortifications in Cappadocia

Archaeological investigations

Layout

Further reading

Notes

References