Petre Castle

Petre Castle lies on a mountain south of the town of Borjomi, in the Borjomi municipality in the Samtskhe–Javakheti region in Georgia.

Petre Castle probably dates back to the 14th century. It was built on a rocky mountain on the right bank of the Kura River (called the Mtkvari in Georgia). It was built to protect the approach to the heartland of Georgia from the south through the gorge of the Kura River. It was part of a chain of fortifications situated in the gorge that would use bonfires to warn each other of an approaching enemy. It also guarded a bridge over the river as well as the road from the village of Likani to the historic villages Fafa and Nua.

From the 15th century onwards the castle was owned by a feudal family; the Avalishvilis. They owned several fortifications in the gorge, like nearby Gogia Castle. The castle now bears the name of one of their lords; Petre. Its original name was Kverbili.

In the 16th century, after the Ottoman conquest of Borjomi (then called Tori), Petre Castle was an administrative center for the Ottomans. At the same time, the settlements around the castle were emptied of their population.  

In 1744 the castle was part of a larger battle between Avallishvilis and a combined army of Ottomans and Dagestanis, led by Usup Pasha, which was won by the Avalishvilis.

As the outline of the castle follows the rock it was built upon, the castle has an irregular ground plan.

At present Petre Castle is freely accessible. The path to the castle ruin is signposted but it is still a bit hard to find the path. Part of the path also seems to have suffered from a small landslide, so getting there is a bit of a challenge. But the views are worth it. It can also be seen from the ს8 road, leading from Borjomi to Akhaltsikhe, on the other side of the river.

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