Shatili
GeorgiaMinistry of Culture, Monuments Protection and Sport of Georgia
Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region
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Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party
Description
Shatili is a historic highland village in Georgia, near the border with Chechnya. It is located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus mountains, in the historical Georgian province of Upper Khevsureti, which is now part of the modern-day region (mkhare) of Mtskheta-Mtianeti.
Located in the deep Arghuni gorge at approximately 1,400 meters, the village is actually a unique complex of medieval-to-early modern fortresses and fortified dwellings of stone and mortar, which functioned both as a residential area and as a fortress guarding the north-eastern outskirts of the country. The fortress consists of the terraced structures dominated by flat-roofed dwellings and some 60 towers which cluster together to create a single chain of fortifications.
Unique architectural methods and thought are realised in Shatili: selection of location, development of the land with complicated relief, rational land tenure, multifunctionalism, vertical zoning of construction, optimal orientation.
Both single monuments and the overall urban structure with their characteristic components (towers, residential complexes, sowing, chapels) are of special importance.
Statements of authenticity and/or integrity
The authenticity of Shatili is completely preserved in architectural forms, materials, location and other necessary attributes. The physical condition of buildings can be characterised as good.
Comparison with other similar properties
At national level, Shatili might be compared with Upper Svaneti World Heritage site. Both properties, due to their isolation, make it unique in the region. The only direct comparisons at wider extent that might be made would be with isolated communities in the Himalayan massif, but these stem from a completely different cultural tradition.