The southern Sololaki ridge on the hillside in Tbilisi has been a fortified defensive site since at least the 4th century, when the Narikala Fortress was built. On the ridge, the Narikala Castle, ancient fortress towers, and the 20th-century Mother of Georgia can still be visited. Let’s visit this strategic ridge and learn what important markers still remain.
Sololaki Ridge name
The ridge was formerly known as Avanaantkhevi, but in the 19th century, the name Sololaki was given to it under Russian imperial control. The area up to the ridge began to be developed with streets and residences, expanding the old city up the hillside.
Sololaki means the place of channeled water, with the Turkish or Azeri root of “sulu”, meaning with water. If the name was recorded in the 19th century, it is possible that Ottoman influence in the city between the 16th and 18th centuries gave this term its name. Then the ending “laki” is a Georgian phonological development that arose with use. Some have labeled this word Persian, but there is no phonetic evidence for this; most likely, it is a general trend in Georgian historiography to label Muslim influences as “Persian.”
I suspect that on the south side of the ridge toward the botanical garden, there are Turkish-designed towers. These two square towers differ from the others on or near the ridge and may have been built by the Ottomans during their control of the city.
The other Georgian name, Avanaantkhevi, means the ravine belonging to the Avanaan family or group. A name given before the Russians arrived in 1801, and most likely connected to a Persian noble who owned the area at one point; for this reason, historians today make a Persian connection.
Despite being a defensive ridge, mostly the area has been controlled by nobility and used for gardens and orchards, especially on the southern side of the ridge. The arrival of Mother of Georgia (Kartlis Deda) in 1958 gave way to the hilltop becoming a cultural center of the nation. That year, Georgia celebrated 1,500 years of existence.
Istanbul Tower
This tower, lower than the Narikala Fortress, sits between the fortress and the hot bath area on a small lower ridge. When the Ottomans controlled the city, they used it as a prison, and it became known as the “Istanbul Tower.”
Now, the Shahtakhti Arab Observatory is a mystery to most as to where it is located. Online, I see some state that the tower with the cross is the observatory, which I think is the best possibility. Yet, others state that the ruins below could be them. While another makes the SW fortress tower the observatory. Even one website says that Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s richest man, lives where the observatory is… that would be the far western building on the ridge, near the remains of the SW fortress tower.[1]https://heroesofadventure.com/listing/mother-of-georgia-monument-tbilisi-georgia/
Yet, it is known that the Observatory was part of the Narikala Fortress. So the ruins below, under renovation, could be the site of this interesting place. This area sits above the entrance on the eastern side of the fort. The name reflects a Persian term meaning “throne room” and was most likely given when the Persians controlled the city before the 19th century.[2]When this area is finished, I will update this section.
In researching this fascinating city, I often attempt to identify historic buildings. I am more than willing to change and consider what others say. However, in these few buildings, I find inconsistency online concerning the facts.
The SW Tower on the Sololaki Ridge
Along the ridge beyond the Mother of Georgia, just beyond the upper entrance to the Botanical Gardens, lie ruins on a slight hill. For sure, this was a lookout tower, but one can explore the video to see what interesting things can be seen at this site.
I took the path up on the ridge and attempted to make a few observations.
Other viewpoints of the SW tower on Sololaki Ridge
From the Botanical Gardens…
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