The original fortress, constructed on a hilltop, was named Gori (meaning hill in English), and was mentioned in the Georgian chronicles as early as the VII century. Some historians believe that the fortress was built by Byzantine Caesar Heraclius to store ammunition battles against Persians.

 

After XI century the area became an active center for trade. According to some historians, this was due to that David the Builder founded the town. Because of its geographical location, enemies frequently targeted the fortress, as far as conquering enabled control of the whole Shida Kartli region. The fortress has been invaded many times and controlled by Ossetians, Iranians and Persians, among with others invaders. The stronghold has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt.

 

The current iteration of the fortress was built in 1774, during the reign of Erekle II, but was significantly damaged by the earthquake in 1920. The Stalin Museum includes the memorial house where Joseph Stalin (1879-1953) was born, a museum building with a tower, and Stalin’s personal train car he used to visit Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam. There are many unique exhibits displayed here, including personal belongings and collections of paintings, photos, films and other important historical items.

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Gori Fortress

The historic fortress stands on a rocky hill in the center of Gori. The ruins on the northern slope and the archaeological findings indicate that there was a fortress here back as far as I century BC. In historic manuscripts the fortress is first mentioned in the XIII century as “Gori Prison.”

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State Museum of Joseph Stalin

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s Museum was founded in 1937 and contains 60,000 exhibits. The museum includes the memorial house where Stalin is believed to have been born, an exhibition building, and Stalin’s personal train car, in which he traveled to Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam. The museum also hosts Stalin’s personal belongings.

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Uplistikhe

Uplistikhe is a rock-hewn city, located just 10 km east of Gori, on the left bank of the river Mtkvari. One of the oldest settlements in the Caucasus region, Uplistikhe is first mentioned within the pages of history in the VII century. Uplistiskhe and its surrounding archeological and architectural monuments belong to a distinct group, the oldest of which date back to the early Bronze Age, and are considered to be relics of the Kura-Araxes culture.