Batumi Gonio Archaeological – Architectural
Archeological Museum :
Batumi Gonio-Apsarosi archeological Museum-Reserve is located in Southwest Georgia, Achara Autonomous Republic, on the left bank of Chorokhi River.
Distance from Batumi to Gonio is about 15 km, from Tbilisi-380 km.
Also, the museum was founded in 1994 based on the important historical and cultural significance of the Gonio Fortress.
It covers the area of Gonio-Apsaros fortress and its vicinities.
Moreover, total area is about 0.5 ha. Archeological excavations conducted on the territory discovered materials of Hellenistic period.
It is worth noting that public buildings are also found together with the material items such as pottery, bronze, silver, gold etc.
Visitors of the Museum can see :
The ancient fortress erected at the mouth of Chorokhi River, on the Black Sea shore.
Also, The fortress was a Roman fortification in Achara, 15 km south of Batumi.
In the 2nd century AD Gonio was a well-fortified Roman city within Colchis and it was also known for its theatre and hippodrome.
It later came under Byzantine influence.
Nowadays the remnants of the ancient fortress consist of massive defensive wall of the most perfect stonework, reinforced with the counter-forcing structures; also several military paths and crenels, remains of monumental construction, Roman bathhouse, ancient water supply system, fragments of an ancient caravansary of the XVI-XVII centuries, clay baking ovens etc.
Among the numerous artifacts found on the territory the most note-worthy is the set of gold things known as “Gonio Treasure”. They are undoubtedly brilliant samples of high level of craftsmanship and sophisticated art. In general, the material discovered on the territory belongs to different historical periods. Earliest samples date from VIII-VII cc. BC and the latest-XIX c. AD.