Rabati Castle
A fortress first built in the 9th century as Lomsia Castle, in the town of Akhaltsikhe, and heavily reconstructed in recent years. Within its walls are a church, a mosque with a gilded dome, towers and a museum, and it is the region's main sight after Vardzia.
- Where
- Akhaltsikhe, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 41.6429, 42.9781
Get the Rabati Castle stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Rabati Castle. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Samtskhe-Javakheti volume with your photos and a note.
Near Rabati Castle
Sapara Monastery 6.3 km
A Georgian Orthodox monastery on a wooded mountainside a few kilometres from Akhaltsikhe. Its stone churches look out over the valley and are reached by a winding road up through the forest.
Zarzma Monastery 27 km
The medieval Monastery of the Transfiguration in the village of Zarzma, in the forested valleys of southwest Georgia. Its church and tall bell tower stand on a slope above the river.
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park 27 km
A large protected area in the Lesser Caucasus of central Georgia, spreading across parts of six municipalities. Its mixed Caucasian forests and long marked trails start from near Borjomi, the spa town known for its mineral water.
Khertvisi Fortress 31 km
One of the oldest fortresses in Georgia, on a rocky spur where the Paravani river meets the Kura. Its church dates from 985 and its walls from 1354, and a local legend says Alexander the Great once destroyed it.
Vardzia 39 km
A cave monastery cut into the cliffs of Erusheti mountain above the Kura, mostly in the second half of the 12th century under Queen Tamar. The caves run for some 500 metres along the rock face in up to nineteen tiers, with a frescoed church at their heart.
Motsameta Monastery 73 km
A monastery on a clifftop promontory in a bend of the Tskaltsitela river, about 6 km northeast of Kutaisi. Its name means place of martyrs, after two brothers who are revered here.
Bagrati Cathedral 74 km
An 11th century cathedral of the Dormition on Ukimerioni hill in Kutaisi, built under King Bagrat III. Badly damaged over the centuries, it was rebuilt step by step from the 1950s onward and once more crowns the city.
Katskhi Pillar 74 km
A limestone column about 40 metres high standing alone above the small valley of the Katskhura, near Chiatura. A tiny church sits on its flat summit, reached only by a steep iron ladder.
More hidden gems in Samtskhe-Javakheti
Questions
Where is Rabati Castle?
Rabati Castle is in Akhaltsikhe, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Sapara Monastery (6.3 km), Zarzma Monastery (27 km), Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park (27 km).
How do I get the Rabati Castle stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Rabati Castle and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Samtskhe-Javakheti volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Rabati Castle before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Samtskhe-Javakheti volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.