From Shatili to Mutso, 12 June 2010

Shatili is actually a unique complex of medieval-to-early modern fortresses and fortified dwellings of stone and mortar which functioned both as a residential area and a fortress. The fortress consists of the terraced structures dominated by flat-roofed dwellings and some 60 towers which cluster together to create a single chain of fortifications.


The population of Shatili, along with that of most of the Khevsureti, was resettled under the pressure from the Soviet authorities to the plains in the early 1950s. In the 1960s, the exotic landscape of the empty village was used as a setting for a series of Georgian films about the past life of the highlanders.


Shatili is situated in the part of Caucasus called Khevsureti, near the border with Chechnya. It is located in the deep Arghuni gorge at approximate 1,400 meters


From the road we spotted a cluster of very small stone houses. We went to explore them further and found out that there very no entrance but inside a lot human skulls and bones.


Our landlady from Shatili explained us that the dead from a smallpox epidemic was buried here. When people from the village realised they were infected they went to this place to die or recover, not to infect the ones left in the village. One of from her family was also buried here.


The River shifted between section with torrential flow and section with more quit flow



There were a few families living alongside the road


Vlado and “our” dog are taking a rest while waiting for me


The towers of Mutso



The Mutso fortress


View from the Mutso fortress


There very many butterflies on the road collecting minerals


It was a hot day so “our” dog tog a bath in the river now and then to cool down

The next day was nice and sunny, and we went down the jeep track in direction Chechnya until we meet a border post. From there the track continued up a tributary to another old fortified settlement, Mutso.

It was a 13 kilometre nice walk to Mutso in the beautiful landscape.

The Mutso village, almost completely abandoned more than a century ago, is a home to approximately 30 medieval fortified dwelling units arranged on vertical terraces above the Mutso-Ardoti gorge, four combat towers and ruins of several old structures and buildings.

A legend has it that the villagers worshiped the Broliskalo Icon of Archangel. They were renowned as fighters and hunters, and considered themselves permanent members of the army of the sacred flags and guardians of fabulous treasury donated to the Icon over the centuries. The legends say the treasury that is still kept in the high mountains around Mutso waiting for the chosen one to come.

A friendly dog kept us with company the whole way.

When we arrived back to Shatili, my legs were rather tired.