Ancient Georgia from Batumi

Tour of the ancient places of the Golden Fleece from Batumi or coastal cities.

Everyone knows the famous story of the Golden Fleece, which was taken from Georgia by Greek heroes with the help of Medea. In this excursion we will visit two places: the fortress of Petra and the archaeopolis of Vani, which serve as a perfect proof of ancient Georgia even BC. About the power and wealth of this region will tell us these two objects. Trade and cultural relations, the flourishing of the Colchis kingdom and its importance in the ancient world.

The fortress of Peter - according to legend, was founded in the 1-2 centuries BC, but was expanded and improved under the Byzantine Empire in 535 by John Stratos. The fortress got its name from the location on a rocky peak height of 440 m above sea level. In the Georgian chronicles, its name “Kagetis tsikhe” is found, which is mentioned in the famous poem Shota Rustaveli “Knight in Tiger’s Skin”. The fortress has had religious and political significance in western Georgia for thousands of years. It was a fort on the Silk Road that both Byzantium and Persia wanted to own to strengthen their expansion on the Black Sea. Not a few battles passed for the century of the fortress, but it was worthy until the 19th century in its beautiful appearance. In the 19th century, at the foot of the mountain, the Baku-Batumi railway was built by the Rodschild brothers to transport oil under the control of the Nobel brothers.

Archaeopolis of Vani - Gorodishche near the village of Vani is a temple complex located on a hill. The history of this place lasted from the VIII to the I century BC, and the period of dawn fell on 600-350 BC. It is noteworthy that from the IV to II centuries BC, only sanctuaries and temples were built on the territory of Vani. During the excavations, no secular buildings were found, which suggests that it was a capital city, a religious center of ancient culture.

Active excavations of the settlement were conducted in the middle of the XX century by the Georgian archaeologist Otar Lordkipanidze. By the way, his name is called the updated museum. Lordkipanidze believed that Vani is a temple of Levkotea described once by Strabo, destroyed, like Vani, in the first century BC.

The oldest archaeological materials found in Vani belong to the VIII-VI centuries BC. Here are fragments of ceramics, gold products, statues and household items. Impressive bronze statues of different heroes and the deity of the Greek pantheon tell about the mixture of cultures. Gold objects of local origin with incredible detail and exclusively executed in Georgian technique “tsvar” amaze the viewer with the high class of skill of their time. Found ceramic products of local origin and import (red-figure and black-figure amphorae), tell about trade relations and the Silk Road. Coins of local origin (Kolchis tetra) imprint of trade, economic growth of the area.

It was in Vani that the famous figurine “Tamada” was found, the main part of the settlement is in ruins, but they are worth visiting, since the approximate age of the area is more than 2800 years. Since 2007, Vani has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Not far from the city you can go to thermal springs at will.

During the excursions at your request, you can stop for lunch in local restaurants.

The cost of the tour:

Passenger car 1-3 adults $200

Mercedes Metris – 1-7 adults – $300

Mercedes Sprinter – 7-14 adults – $400

The cost of the tour includes:

• Guide services
• Transportation

The price does not include:

• Entrance tickets
• Nutrition