It is said that the fortress-city of Nokalakevi, or Archaeopolis in Greek, may have existed as early as the 13th century BC. In Georgian, “Nokalakevi” translates roughly to “the place where a city once was.” If this city is indeed that ancient, it could very well be the Georgian Troy!
The site spans approximately 22 hectares, preserving the ruins of a royal palace and Roman baths from the 5th century AD, along with many other notable structures. Curiously, these include a large private house with a garden where people still live today.
During the Soviet era, before the site was recognized as a cultural monument, seven families resided within the fortress grounds. When archaeological excavations began in the 1970s, six families accepted government compensation and moved. However, one family refused to leave, and according to museum staff, this continues to create significant challenges for archaeological work.
A Strategic Stronghold
If you climb the preserved section of the fortress wall to the left of the entrance, the brilliance of the city’s location becomes clear. Nokalakevi sat on a vital strategic route; the adjacent mountain ridge offers a superb vantage point over the Colchian Lowland and the Tekhura River, which flows into the Rioni and onward to the Black Sea.
Historian Lasha Jikia and many of his colleagues believe that the ancient city of Aia, the destination of the Argonauts, might have been located here. While excavations have so far only reached layers from the Kingdom of Egrisi (4th–8th centuries AD), Archaeopolis is widely considered to have been the capital of the Colchian Kingdom for centuries. This ground has seen countless battles against Persian and Arab invaders.
The Secrets of the Tunnel
Our guide, Anna Gvasalia, led us through the fortress-city. Its recorded history spans from the 6th century BC until it was finally destroyed in 736 AD by the Arab general Marwan “the Deaf.” Until then, no invaders, not even the Persians, who besieged it for twenty years, could breach its complex defensive walls.
After showing us the royal palace, the Fourth Gate, and the Roman baths, Anna took us to one of the settlement’s most remarkable features: a 40-meter tunnel of solid Roman arched masonry leading down to the river.
“This tunnel served as a passage to the river gates, connecting the inhabitants to the Black Sea via the river,” Anna explained. “In those times, Romans and Byzantines arrived by boat to trade, taking away everything Colchis and Egrisi produced: gold, jewelry, metals, honey, wine, ceramic tiles, shipbuilding timber, and flax for sails and ropes.”
Descending the tunnel, we were met with a stunning view: clear emerald water and a quiet backwater that looked incredibly inviting for a swim, framed by massive boulders and lush, green cliffs.
A Must-Visit for History Lovers
Nokalakevi is an essential stop for anyone fascinated by antiquity or Byzantine history. The ruins are impressive when viewed from the highway, but the scale of the fortress is even more striking from within. While the local archaeological museum is currently closed for renovation, excavations were underway again last summer. Who knows what other secrets this ancient stronghold still hides?
This is a wonderful section! It reads like a true culinary adventure. Here is the translation, keeping the mouth-watering descriptions and the warm, hospitable tone.
The Secrets of Megrelian Cuisine
In the world of Georgian gastronomy, Megrelian cuisine holds a place of high honor. It is famous not only for its piquancy but also for its vast variety and the uniqueness of its dishes. Among them are recipes that the rest of the world has never even heard of, dishes so distinct they are difficult to describe. In short: you simply have to taste them!
Why is the food in Samegrelo so spicy? The reason lies in the climate. Historically, this region was hot and humid, and for centuries, if not millennia, malaria was a rampant threat. To keep the disease at bay, it was necessary not only to drain the swamps but also to use spices as medicine. Carefully selected aromatics acted as natural antiseptics.
“Most of our spices are not indigenous; they were brought here from India, black pepper, red chili, cloves, and fenugreek,” Albert Khuntselia explained at the Martvili Museum. “This is a testament to the active trade between Colchis (later the Kingdom of Egrisi) and Asian countries. It is no coincidence that the Great Silk Road passed through our lands.”
The most essential seasoning for a Megrelian hostess is adjika. Every cook surely has her own secret recipe for this intensely hot paste. Usually, it is made from dried red peppers, garlic, and a blend of spices like utskho-suneli (blue fenugreek), Imeretian saffron (marigold), and coriander.
Living Traditions in Sisatura
Our introduction to the daily life and evolution of Megrelian villages began in the ethno-village of Sisatura, near Zugdidi. This unique museum, founded by Marika and Enri Todua, is a true tribute to their homeland. The couple strives to share this love with every visitor, immersing guests in the Colchis of old. In Sisatura, you don’t just observe history, you live the traditions, customs, and lifestyle of the Megrelian people.
Marika Todua showed us various types of kitchenware used by Megrelian women for generations. One of the most important tools is the stone mortar for grinding spices, called a khaki. Why use a mortar? Because spices only release their full aromatic potential when they are ground immediately before cooking. Interestingly, for some dishes, hostesses even crush fresh herbs in the mortar to release the juices and amplify the fragrance tenfold.
The Legendary Elarji
Before my trip, a friend, and die-hard fan of West Georgian cuisine, told me I absolutely had to visit Aza in the village of Balda. According to him, this woman prepares a legendary elarji.
From Martvili, a scenic road took us across the river to a colorful village called Pervaya Balda (First Balda). Finding Aza there is easy; her hospitable family and cozy guesthouse are known to everyone. We were greeted at the gate by Aza’s husband, Giorgi, who promised an unforgettable masterclass in Megrelian cooking.
First, our host shared the main secret behind his wife’s famous dishes: top-tier ingredients, grown and prepared with love. Giorgi grazes his cows on the high-altitude meadows of the Askhi Plateau, 2,200 meters above sea level. They say that on a clear day, you can see the Black Sea from the plateau, and the environment there is pristine. You can imagine the kind of cheese produced from the milk of cows that spend their entire summer blissfully grazing on alpine herbs!
A Masterclass in “Dairy Tenderness”
In a Megrelian home, the kitchen is usually a separate building. In the culinary kingdom of Aza, Giorgi’s charming and warm-hearted wife, everything is perfectly arranged to feed a large family and guests alike.
Aza leads us into her domain and takes out the star ingredient: a large block of cheese called chkinti.
Note: “Chkinti” means “young cheese.” It is a very popular unaged cheese in Georgia (known elsewhere as Imeretian cheese). It is soft, slightly salty, and tender, perfect for eating fresh or using in khachapuri.
First, Aza teaches us to make gebjalia. My mouth is already watering; this is one of my absolute favorite Georgian dishes!
In a large wooden mortar, Aza crushes finely chopped green chilies, a bunch of mint, and salt into a smooth green paste. She then slices the cheese into small pieces, pours boiling water over them, and begins to stir. This is the process of making sulguni (similar in technique to mozzarella). After five minutes of intense stirring, the cheese reaches a dough-like consistency. Aza rolls it out into a sheet, spreads half of the spicy mint filling over it, rolls it up, and rubs the remaining paste on the outside. Finally, she splashes it with a little milk and slices it.
Cooking class in Balda village with Aza Nachkebia. Photo by the authorOur gebjalia is ready! We devour it instantly. If I had to name this dish, I would call it “minty-milky tenderness.” No other cuisine in the world knows such a flavor! It is now clear how Megrelians balance their heat: they simply infuse it with a touch of dairy grace.
Pulling the Elarji
“And now, we prepare elarji!” Giorgi declares proudly. “Elarji is the calling card of our cuisine,” Aza adds. “No feast here is complete without it.”
While bread is the staple in Europe and rice in Asia, in Western Georgia, it is the corn-based elarji. It is made from a small amount of white cornmeal cooked like an Italian polenta or Moldovan mamaliga. But stirring it requires immense strength, because as you stir, you add cheese, a mountain of cheese!
According to Giorgi, the secret is simple: “Don’t be stingy with the cheese! Our elarji is only 20 percent corn, the rest is cheese!”
The mass must be mixed and stretched thoroughly as the cheese begins to boil and melt. Giorgi is a pro; he tames the bubbling mass by lifting a wooden spoon as high as possible. The cheese follows obediently, stretching upward without splashing. Giorgi claims he can stretch elarji up to 4 or 5 meters!
(In that case, he’d have to pull it sideways, or the chef would need a stepladder!)
Aza serves the finished dish on two trays. “We won’t let you leave until you finish it!” the couple jokes, and we happily comply. Usually, elarji is served as a side dish for meat, such as kupaty (sausages). But we are so captivated that we eat it plain: the cheesy porridge stretches endlessly, and it is incredibly fun!
We also learned a curious detail: in the past, people in Samegrelo ate elarji for breakfast, cutting it into squares and pouring warm milk over it.
As we savored this delicacy, a question arose: “What did they make this from before corn was brought to Georgia from the New World?” “We used ghomi flour,” Giorgi replied. But that didn’t mean much to us yet, the visual answer to that question would come later.
Blog by Tatjana Montik
Tatjana Montik, journalist, author, and passionate admirer of Georgia, has spent the past 15 years living in and reporting on this captivating South Caucasus country. See more of her experiences in her new travel diary and cultural guide, Georgia: A Tapestry of Time and Space.
