Petra Fortress

Petra was founded in 535 under Justinian on a rocky headland on the Adjaran coast, a fortified port intended to hold this stretch of the Black Sea, and it was fought over repeatedly in the following decades before being dismantled. What survives sits on and around the rock: sections of wall and towers, gates, cisterns, the foundations of a basilica with mosaic fragments, and a bath, spread over a headland that drops to the sea on one side and looks along the coast in both directions. Excavation continues and parts are fenced. It is a short stop from the coast road and one of the few classical sites on this shoreline.

What you actually see

• Walls and towers on the headland - the sixth-century fortifications.
• Basilica foundations with mosaic - the church inside the walls.
• Cisterns and a bath - the supply and comfort of the garrison.
• The coastal position - the sea on one side and the shoreline in view.

When to go

April to October. Two hours. Morning light suits the headland. Summer brings beach crowds to Tsikhisdziri below.

Honest expectations

The remains are fragmentary and partly fenced for excavation. There is little interpretation. Paths on the rock are rough and unfenced above drops. Facilities are those of the beach resort below.

Nearby

Kobuleti is north; Batumi lies south.