The story of Gonio

Behind these walls lies a name from Greek myth. Gonio was once called Apsaros, a name linked with the legend of Medea and her brother Absyrtus. The fortress stands at the mouth of the Chorokhi River, 15 km south of Batumi and just 4 km from the Turkish border.

Pliny the Elder mentioned it in the 1st century, and by the 2nd century it was a well-fortified Roman city in Colchis, known for its theatre and hippodrome. It later came under Byzantine influence, briefly hosted a Genoese trading post, and in 1547 was taken by the Ottomans, who held it until 1878. In 1647 a Cossack fleet of 70 boats seized it, but it was quickly recovered. Walk along the rectangular circuit of walls: it was built with four gates and 22 towers, and 18 of the towers still stand.

Tradition holds that the grave of Saint Matthias, one of the twelve apostles, lies inside, though digging near the supposed grave is not allowed.