Slesis Cixe: A Medieval Sentinel

Slesis Cixe, a medieval fortress located in the Akhaltsikhe Municipality of Georgia's Samtskhe–Javakheti region, stands as a silent witness to the area's rich history. Perched strategically on two adjacent hills, the fortress, comprising a now-ruined castle and a better-preserved tower, once guarded the southern approaches to the heartland of Georgia through the Borjomi valley. The history of Slesis Cixe is shrouded in some obscurity. Architectural features suggest it was likely built in the High Middle Ages, as it lacks embrasures for firearms. A document from 1516 mentions the Slesari family, indicating their connection to the fortress. The village of Slesa is first documented in 1598. The fortress features an irregular rectangular plan, elongated on the south–north axis. Its curtain walls, reaching up to eight meters in height, are fortified with semicircular buttresses. The courtyard is divided into three platforms: a lower platform with remnants of small structures, a middle platform with a ruined hall church, and an upper platform crowned by a tall tower with rounded corners. A separate four-story tower with a semicircular rear wall stands south of the lower platform. The castle walls, approximately 150 cm thick, are constructed of stonework bound by mortar. A defensive wall, up to 130 meters thick, flanks a ravine slope between the castle and the tower.