Ananuri and Jinvali Water Reservoir, Georgia

Ananuri is a castle complex on the Aragvi River in Georgia about 72 kilometres (45 miles) north of the capital Tbilisi.

Ananuri was built in the 13th century and remained in use until the beginning of the 19th century. In 2007, it has been placed on the tentative list for inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Within the complex, there are two churches and a tall square tower. The older church interior is no longer decorated. The larger church has a central dome with decorated facades, including a carved entrance and a carved grapevine cross.

Ananuri sits next to an artificial water reservoir. The Soviets constructed the dam in the 1980s to supply the growing capital city of Tbilisi. Glacier water feeds into the dam from the Caucasus mountains.

There were protests at the time of planning for the construction due to the archaeological sites in the area. As the water level in the reservoir lake drops, a church once located on a hill overlooking the city, surfaces from underneath the water.

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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