Svan towers

Svan towers are multi-storey stone defensive towers found across the Svaneti highlands in northwestern Georgia, notable for their medieval date and distinctive rectangular profile. Many towers survive in villages in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region and the area is part of the UNESCO Upper Svaneti World Heritage listing.

Clusters of towers sit integrated with family houses and small churches; some individual towers reach up to about 20-25 metres in height and typically have several narrow floors and small windows for defence. Prominent concentrations are found at Ushguli and around Mestia, where assembled groups of towers form recognisable village silhouettes and are often photographed at close range and from surrounding ridges.

Towers were built as family defensive structures and refuges during centuries of local feuds and periodic invasions. Construction spans the medieval period, with many towers dating from roughly the 9th to the 13th centuries and later repairs and additions occurring over subsequent centuries.

The towers sit high in the Greater Caucasus, in remote mountain valleys above the Enguri and Tskhenistsqali river basins. Road access from the regional centres is seasonal; Ushguli is one of the highest permanently inhabited settlements in Europe and is accessed by mountain tracks from Mestia.

• Best viewing: Preferred vantage points include the slopes above the villages, which give clear views of clusters of towers rising above stone houses; summer and early autumn offer the best access on mountain roads.

What to See #

• Ushguli: A cluster of well-preserved medieval defensive towers set beside family dwellings in the communities of Ushguli, located at high elevation in upper Svaneti, where many of the region's best-preserved examples survive.
• Mestia: The district centre and transport hub of Svaneti where a concentration of towers stands alongside the modern town and museum facilities, used as a base for access to nearby tower villages and trails.