Abuli Fortress

On the slopes of Mount Abuli on the Javakheti plateau stands a fortress built without mortar from massive blocks of basalt, walls several metres thick enclosing chambers and passages, of a type usually called cyclopean and generally dated to the Bronze Age. It sits at around two thousand five hundred metres in bare volcanic country with no trees, no shelter and long views over the plateau lakes, and it is one of a group of such structures across this region whose purpose and dating are still argued over. There is no road to it: a rough track approaches and the last stretch is walked over open ground, which is much of what makes the visit.

What you actually see

• Cyclopean dry-stone walls - massive basalt blocks laid without mortar.
• Chambers and passages inside - the interior structure of the fortress.
• Bare volcanic plateau - the treeless country around it.
• Views over the Javakheti lakes - the plateau from 2,500 metres.

When to go

July to September; the plateau is snowbound and bitterly cold for much of the year. A day. Four-wheel-drive for the track and a walk at the end. Carry water and windproofs.

Honest expectations

There is no signage, no path and no facilities; navigation is on your own. Weather at this altitude changes fast and there is no shelter anywhere. The track needs a capable vehicle. The dating and purpose of the site are genuinely unresolved.

Nearby

Paravani lake is north; Akhalkalaki lies east.