Kelasuri Wall

The Great Abkhazian Wall (Georgian აფხაზეთის დიდი კედელი ) also Kelassurier wall (Georgian კელასურის კედელი ) is the largest medieval fortification and a cultural monument in Georgia. The facility is located in Abkhazia and protected the westgeorgische coastal region.

Description

The ruins of the fort extend for a distance of 160 kilometers. A complete mapping of the plant is still out, so far 279 towers and monuments on the wall and in the hinterland (signal towers) have already been determined.

The wall begins near Sukhumi, at the mouth of Kelasuri, a few steps from the shores of the Black Sea. Gives you directions parallel to this river in a northeasterly direction about 20 miles to the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. From there it runs parallel to the mountains and cuts, under skilful use of topographic conditions, about 15 river valleys. At the edge of Enguritales it bends to the south-west to outclassed again on the Black Sea coast.

The course can be yet at numerous points in the track terrain, but larger passages have already been destroyed by the forces of nature or the lack of interest of the residents.

The Mauerzug was relatively low with a thickness of only one to two meters, and apparently had long stretches no battlements.

The towers have a coherent typology, they are of rectangular plan with a floor area of about 7 × 8 × 9 m to 8 m and an overall height of only 4 to 6 m. The towers could once only be accessed by ladders to the high altitude inputs. On the upper floors loopholes were present on all sides, it is concluded that the buildings were defended with firearms. The distance between the towers to each other was relatively minor - he is 40 to 120 m - always dependent on the terrain topography.

Research

Still gives the plant puzzle, archaeological research is currently hampered by the conflict situation in Abkhazia, also the structure is exploited by nationalist circles of both parties as evidence of a heroic past.

After some historians have argued, is a Byzantine border fortifications - comparable to the Anastasiusmauer north of Constantinople Opel or older fortifications on the edge of the Eastern Roman Empire territory. However, let the poor quality of the walls, the low height and wall thickness and the inadequate foundation of the towers doubt on this view arise. According to another view - that are occupied with bauarchäologischen researches of Soviet ( Abkhaz ) archaeologist Yuri Voronow, the entire plant was built in the 17th century. They thus served as security for the of Levan II Dadiani (1611-1657) ruled the Principality of Samegrelo that, on the other hand by constant attacks from the hinterland (Turks, Caucasians) on the one hand and in the war with a rival Nachbarfüstentum, in the period from 1628 to 1653 forced to build this defense already technically outmoded plant saw. As a witness may be made to the report of an Italian missionary Arcangelo Lamberti, he traveled to the Caucasus and mentioned in his travelogue, the wall had been devised by megrelischen princes and serve the defense of their enemies. The report also provides information on a provision of the prince, they forced all subjects, even clergy, to one month's hard labor in the construction of the Wall and to dig trenches.