Akaki Chikobava
(e-mail: akaki.chikobava@tsu.ge) Scholar at Faculty of Humanities, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Abstract
The subject of research is a fortification, which is located in the historical province of Georgia, Tao (nowadays in the Republic of Turkey). The fortress used to have various names in the different periods. Some researchers are trying to link it with the Urartian city of Zua/Zuayna. One of the names that it has is Azordi, which is attested as a part of Tao in the 7th century “Armenian Geography”. The later name – Aghjakala is contemporary to the Ottoman period, which is Turkish form of the Georgian toponym “Tetrtsikhe”. The name Uzundere is derived from location of the fortification, as we know fortress is situated in Uzundere İlçe of Erzurum province. In official stencil, which is raised near the fortification, it is named as ÜNGÜZEK KALESI. In touristic maps and guides the fortress is frequently mentioned as Dikyar Kapi that means rocky entrance in Turkish.Article contains brief history of the fortress from ancient times to the present. Historical-geographic aspects as well as different historical sources that mention it are analyzed and discussed. The fortress is located in historical Tortomi Gorge, thereby attention is paid to the importance of this geographic region and to those roads, which might had been controlled by above-mentioned fortress. TSU Associated Professor Nino Silagadze prepared data and observation concerning construction and development of the church, which is located inside the fortress.The fortress is located in the Republic of Turkey, in historical region of Tao, 1180 meters high above sea level. N – 40°30’37.68”; E – 41°31’34.52” are its geographic coordinates. The height of preserved wall is 15 meters; the thickness of preserved wall is 0.9 meter; size of the entrance is 1.2X2 meters; the length of the fortress is 84 meters; and width of the fortress is 51 meters.
