TRADE-CARAVAN ROADS AND STONE ARCH BRIDGES IN MACHAKHELI GORGE

Abstract

Roads and bridges in Georgia, as means of communication, have been of essential, vital importance for the population since ancient times. According to the numerous actual materials and these samples of material culture that have been well preserved and reached to this day in a damaged form, a clear picture of the significant and orderly road-bridge construction, which was widely developed in Georgia, unfolds before our eyes. The mountainous terrain also determined the appropriate way of building bridges. Narrow and easily accessible places were chosen for them.

The construction of stone arched bridges in Ajara should have started from the IX-X centuries. At this time, as one of the nobles of the "Georgian Kingdom", it directly participates in the historical processes that took place in southwestern Georgia, including Artanuji. The vast majority of bridges built in Ajara are located on the roads leading to historical Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shavshet- Imierkhevi, and Artanuji. In this regard, the arch bridges in the Machakheli gorge played a very important role, most of which have reached us in their authentic form.

The caravan road passing through the Machakheli gorge connected with the central road leading to the coast in the direction of the Chorokhi river. It should also be emphesized that the road leading to Klarjeti in the Machakheli gorge is one of the important routs in the old road system of Chorokhi basin. This is clearly indicated by the presence of many stone arch bridges on this road.

The paper besides aims to highlight the stone arch bridges built on the Machakheli River and its tributaries (both in the territory of the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Turkey), a significant part of which has survived to this day in its authentic form.

Key words: Trade-caravan Roads; The Medieval Era; Machakheli Gorge; Stone Arch Bridges.