Ushguli Svan Towers
Medieval stone defensive towers in one of Europe's highest villages, below the glaciers of Mount Shkhara.
About
Ushguli is a cluster of hamlets at around 2,100 metres in Upper Svaneti, among the highest permanently inhabited settlements in Europe. Tall, square stone towers, each rising beside a family house, give the villages a skyline unlike anywhere else, with the glaciers of Mount Shkhara behind.
The towers were built as family refuges and lookouts, and many still stand after centuries. A small church, Lamaria, sits on a hill above the village. The classic way to arrive is the multi-day trek from Mestia, though a rough road also reaches Ushguli in summer.
History
The Svan towers date mostly from the ninth to the twelfth centuries, when families in this isolated region defended themselves from raids and feuds. Their remote position helped preserve both the buildings and Svan traditions. Upper Svaneti was inscribed by UNESCO in 1996. The community of Ushguli is made up of four villages: Zhibiani, Chvibiani, Chazhashi and Murkmeli. The Svans speak their own language, related to Georgian, and the isolation of these valleys long preserved local customs, songs and building traditions. The twelfth-century Lamaria church above the village is among the sacred places of the community.
UNESCO World Heritage: Inscribed 1996.