# Armaztsikhe-Bagineti, Mtskheta > Armaztsikhe-Bagineti is the excavated acropolis of Armazi, the first capital of the ancient kingdom of Kartli (Iberia), on Mount Bagineti across the Mtkvari River from Mtskheta. Expect a palace, a royal bathhouse, a wine cellar and a pagan temple under protective roofs. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–17:00, closed Monday. Entry is either free or 6 GEL — sources disagree. Allow 45 minutes on site. You can see it from Svetitskhoveli, but the walk is about 3 km, 45 minutes, via the bridge at the west end of town. Web page: https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/armaztsikhe - City: [Mtskheta](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta), Georgia - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Entry: Free or 6 GEL — sources disagree - With kids: Fine with kids - Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–17:00 - Closed: Monday - Entrance: Free or 6 GEL (students 3 GEL) — sources disagree - Time needed: 45 minutes on site; about 2.5 hours with the walk from the cathedral and back - Getting there: Walk from Svetitskhoveli ≈ 3 km, 45 minutes via the bridge; taxi ≈ 10 minutes - Where: Slope of Mount Bagineti, right bank of the Mtkvari, by the Mtskheta–Tbilisi road - Coordinates: 41.83775, 44.72146 - Facts checked: 02.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Tue–Sun** — open 10:00–17:00, closed on Mondays (source: National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia) - **3rd century BC** — founded by King Pharnavaz I, according to the Georgian chronicles (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Georgia Travel; Advantour) - **736** — the city was sacked by the Arab commander Marwan ibn Muhammad and never rebuilt (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Advantour (“the 730s”)) - **≈ 30 ha** — area enclosed by the town walls (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Advantour; Georgia Voyage) - **Three layers** — 4th–3rd century BC, 3rd–1st century BC and 1st–6th century AD (source: English, Russian and Georgian Wikipedia) - **65 BC** — the fortress was taken by the Roman general Pompey (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Visit Silk Road (after Cassius Dio)) - **Since 1943** — large-scale excavations, first led by Andria Apakidze (source: English, Russian and Georgian Wikipedia; Wikivoyage) - **2nd–3rd century** — date of the royal bathhouse with underfloor heating (source: Advantour; TravelGuide.ge) - **Armazi** — the chief pagan god of Kartli, who gave the fortress its name (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Advantour; Visit Silk Road) - **Bilingual** — the Greek–Aramaic tombstone of Serapita from Armazi, source of the “Armazi script” (source: English Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia) ## What is Armaztsikhe? **Armaztsikhe** means “Armazi fortress” in Georgian. It was the acropolis of Armazi, the first capital of the kingdom of Kartli — Iberia to Greek and Roman writers. It sits on the lower slope of **Mount Bagineti** on the right bank of the Mtkvari (Kura), directly opposite Mtskheta’s old town, which is why you will see it called Armazi, Armaztsikhe and Bagineti. The Georgian chronicles say King **Pharnavaz I** founded it in the 3rd century BC and named it after **Armazi**, the chief god of the pagan pantheon. When Mtskheta became the capital, Armazi stayed its main citadel and the holy city of the old religion. The walls enclosed about 30 hectares, with buildings on terraces down the hill. Today it is an open-air excavation and part of the **Great Mtskheta Archaeological State Museum-Reserve**. Protective roofs cover the main ruins and every structure has a sign, in English too. There is no museum building or display of finds: what you see is foundations, masonry and the layout of a royal residence. > **It looks close, but it’s a 3 km walk — and shut on Mondays** From Svetitskhoveli the ruins are less than half a kilometre away as the crow flies, but the Mtkvari is in between and the nearest bridge is at the west end of town. On foot that makes about 3 km and 45 minutes each way, partly along the main road. The museum-reserve is closed on Mondays and the site shuts at 17:00. Short on time? A taxi reaches the lower entrance in about 10 minutes. ## How to get to Armaztsikhe 1. Start at the west gate of [Svetitskhoveli Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/svetitskhoveli-cathedral) on Arsukidze Street, where Tbilisi minibuses drop off and taxis wait. 2. Walk west along Arsukidze Street and then Gamsakhurdia Street beside the river to Pharnavaz Square and the road bridge — about 1.7 km, 20–25 minutes. 3. Cross the Mtkvari. After the roundabout on Pharnavaz Square, turn left onto the road towards Tbilisi. 4. Lonely Planet puts an “Armaztsikhe-Bagineti” signpost about 900 m along the road, then roughly 800 m on a dirt track and path by the river to the lower entrance with the stone sarcophagus. Our OpenStreetMap calculation gives about 3.4 km and 45 minutes in total from the cathedral. 5. From the sarcophagus a path and steps climb past the baths and the wine cellar to the six-column hall — another 5–10 minutes uphill. 6. A **taxi** from Svetitskhoveli is about 5 km and 10 minutes over the same bridge. Agree the fare first and have lari cash ready. 7. From Tbilisi, take the metro to Didube and a **marshrutka** (minibus) to Mtskheta: 25–40 minutes, 1.5–3 GEL in cash, sources differ. Madloba reports that Tbilisi-bound minibuses stop at “Bagineti” (unofficial); it is safer to get off in central Mtskheta and walk or take a taxi. ## Entrance fee and opening hours Armaztsikhe is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–17:00, and closed on Mondays, according to the museum-reserve’s official page from Georgia’s National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation. Arrive by 16:00 to have time for the climb and every roofed ruin. The price is less clear. The agency’s official tariff page is empty. Wikivoyage lists the site as free, while Travel Cost Calculator gives 6 GEL for adults and 3 GEL for students. Bring a few lari in cash just in case there is a ticket desk. Visa and Mastercard from non-Russian banks work widely in Georgia, but marshrutkas take cash only — carry small lari notes for them and for taxis. Cards issued by Russian banks, including Mir, do not work in Georgia. ## Is Armaztsikhe worth visiting? Yes, if you care about Georgia before Christianity. It is the only place in Mtskheta where you walk through an ancient royal residence rather than a church, it is quiet, and the slope gives an unusual view back across the river to Svetitskhoveli and the confluence. It pairs well with a drive up to Jvari. The downsides: it is foundations and stonework under roofs, with no finds on display. On foot the approach is awkward — 45 minutes, partly along the main road — and it is closed on Mondays. With one day in Mtskheta and no car, the cathedral, [Samtavro Monastery](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/samtavro-monastery) and the old-town lanes are a better use of your time. Come in the morning or late afternoon: the open slope gets hot at midday and the roofs give little shade. ## What to see at Armaztsikhe - **The stone sarcophagus** by the lower entrance. Georgian Wikipedia records gold and silver jewellery found in a 2nd-century royal tomb of a king’s daughter. - **The royal bathhouse** of the 2nd–3rd century with underfloor heating: bathers moved from a changing room through cold, warm and hot rooms. Clay water pipes are still visible. - **The smaller bathhouse** further up, known as the queen’s bath and still half buried. - **The wine cellar** (marani) with qvevri — the clay wine jars — set into the floor. - **The six-apse temple**, a pre-Christian sanctuary; Live the World describes a pedestal beside it that held an idol of Armazi. - **The six-column hall** on the upper terrace, thought to be the king’s reception hall, looking over the Aragvi–Mtkvari confluence. - **The view of Mtskheta** — Svetitskhoveli across the river and [Jvari Monastery](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/jvari-monastery) on the hill opposite. - **The cut-stone walls**, blocks held with lime mortar and iron clamps — the Armazi III layer. ## A short history of Armazi Excavations found three layers. The earliest, from the 4th–3rd century BC, has massive stone bases with mud-brick walls. The middle one, 3rd–1st century BC, has a temple with an apse. The latest and richest, 1st–6th century AD, has the palace, baths, tombs and a small mausoleum. In 65 BC the Roman general **Pompey** took the fortress during his campaign against King Artag. Later Iberia became Rome’s ally: a stone stele found in 1867 records that Emperor Vespasian fortified Armazi for King Mithridates I in AD 75. The city was run by the pitiakhsh, a hereditary viceroy second only to the king. The most famous find is the **Armazi bilingual**, a Greek and Aramaic tombstone of a young woman called Serapita; its unusual Aramaic letters became known as the Armazi script. After the capital moved to Tbilisi, Armazi declined, and in 736 the Arab commander Marwan ibn Muhammad razed it. Large-scale digs began in 1943 and continue today. ## Armaztsikhe, Armazi Fortress or Armaziskhevi? Several places near Mtskheta carry the Armazi name. **Armaztsikhe-Bagineti**, the subject of this page, is the ancient acropolis on the slope directly opposite the old town. **Armazi Fortress** (Armazis Tsikhe) is a medieval castle in the Armaziskhevi gorge, about 3 km west of Mtskheta, reached by a hiking trail of roughly 3 km; the 12th-century Armazi Monastery, built in 1150–1178, is in the same area. **Armaziskhevi** is another part of the museum-reserve: the residence and tombs of the pitiakhsh rulers from the 2nd–3rd century. If you just tell a driver “Armazi”, you may end up in the gorge. Say “Bagineti” or “Armaztsikhe” and show the pin on your map. ## Before you go - [ ] It isn’t Monday, and you have at least an hour before 17:00 - [ ] Comfortable shoes — steps and dirt paths on the slope - [ ] Water and a hat: the hillside is exposed - [ ] Small lari notes for a possible ticket, the minibus and the taxi - [ ] The Armaztsikhe-Bagineti pin saved, so you don’t end up in the Armazi gorge ## Armaztsikhe or Bebristsikhe? | | Armaztsikhe-Bagineti | Bebristsikhe | | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Excavated ancient royal residence | Ruined 9th-century fortress | | Where | Right bank of the Mtkvari, opposite the old town | Northern edge of town, above the Aragvi | | Entrance | Free or 6 GEL — sources disagree | Free, no ticket office | | Hours | Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00 | Open-air ruins, daylight | | From Svetitskhoveli | ≈ 3 km, 45 minutes via the bridge | ≈ 25-minute walk plus a 10-minute climb | | Highlight | Baths, wine cellar, sarcophagus, signs | Towers and the Aragvi valley view | Bebristsikhe details come from YesGo’s Bebristsikhe page. Travel times are our OpenStreetMap estimates. ## Historic sights in and around Mtskheta Every historic site in and around Mtskheta rated by YesGo. - [Mtskheta Old Town and Arsukidze Street](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/mtskheta-old-town) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free — public streets - [Svetitskhoveli Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/svetitskhoveli-cathedral) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free - [Jvari Monastery](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/jvari-monastery) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Antiokia Church](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/antiokia-church) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [Armaztsikhe-Bagineti](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/armaztsikhe) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free or 6 GEL — sources disagree - [Samtavro Monastery](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/samtavro-monastery) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, donations welcome - [Bebristsikhe Fortress](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/bebristsikhe-fortress) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, no ticket office - [Zedazeni Monastery](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/zedazeni-monastery) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Shio-Mgvime Monastery](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/shio-mgvime-monastery) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Ananuri Fortress](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/ananuri-fortress) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## Ancient Mtskheta in half a day Svetitskhoveli and the old-town lanes in the morning, then a taxi over the bridge to the Armaztsikhe excavations and on to Jvari for the view of the confluence. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Svetitskhoveli Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/svetitskhoveli-cathedral) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free 2. [Mtskheta Old Town and Arsukidze Street](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/mtskheta-old-town) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free — public streets 3. [Armaztsikhe-Bagineti](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/armaztsikhe) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free or 6 GEL — sources disagree 4. [Jvari Monastery](https://yesgo.io/georgia/mtskheta/jvari-monastery) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free ## Tips - Tell your driver “Bagineti” or “Armaztsikhe”, not just “Armazi” — otherwise you may be taken to the medieval fortress in the gorge. - Work uphill from the sarcophagus: baths, wine cellar, temple, six-column hall — the signs then tell the story in order. - The best shot of Svetitskhoveli is from the upper terrace by the six-column hall, across the river. - Stay behind the fences and off the masonry — this is a working archaeological site. - Walk there and taxi back: the return is the same 45 minutes, and you’ll have less energy after the slope. ## Questions ### What is Armaztsikhe? The acropolis of Armazi, the first capital of the ancient kingdom of Kartli (Iberia). It stands on Mount Bagineti across the Mtkvari from Mtskheta and is now an open-air archaeological site. ### How do I get to Armaztsikhe from Mtskheta? Walk west to Pharnavaz Square, cross the bridge and follow the Tbilisi road and a riverside track — about 3 km, 45 minutes from Svetitskhoveli. A taxi takes about 10 minutes. ### How do I get there from Tbilisi? Metro to Didube, then a marshrutka to Mtskheta — 25–40 minutes, 1.5–3 GEL in cash. Get off in the centre and take a taxi to Bagineti, or take a taxi from Tbilisi straight to the site. ### Is there an entrance fee? There is no official price. Wikivoyage says entry is free; Travel Cost Calculator lists 6 GEL for adults and 3 GEL for students. Carry some lari in cash. ### What are the opening hours? Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–17:00; closed on Mondays, according to Georgia’s National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation. ### How long do I need? About 45 minutes on site. With the walk from the cathedral and back allow about 2.5 hours; by taxi, about an hour. ### Is Armaztsikhe worth visiting? Yes if you are curious about pre-Christian Georgia and want a quiet site with a view of Svetitskhoveli. With little time and no car, the cathedral and Samtavro come first. ### Is Armaztsikhe the same as Armazi Fortress? No. Armaztsikhe-Bagineti is the ancient acropolis opposite Mtskheta. Armazi Fortress is a medieval castle in the Armaziskhevi gorge, about 3 km west of town. ### What does Armaztsikhe mean? “Armazi fortress” in Georgian, after Armazi, the chief pagan god of Kartli. Bagineti is the name of the mountain it stands on. ### Can I visit with children? Yes: the climb is short, on paths and steps. Keep children off the masonry and behind the fences; a pushchair will struggle on the dirt sections. ## How we checked Hours (Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–17:00, closed Monday) come from the museum-reserve’s official page at Georgia’s National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation; Georgian Holidays gives 11:00–17:30 for the archaeological museum-reserve, and we use the official figure. The agency’s tariff page is empty: Wikivoyage says free, Travel Cost Calculator says 6 GEL (students 3 GEL), so we show both and mark it “checking”. The walk from Svetitskhoveli (about 3.4 km, 45 minutes, via the bridge at Pharnavaz Square) and the taxi ride (about 5 km, 10 minutes) are our own OpenStreetMap calculations; Lonely Planet gives about 3 km — 900 m by road and 800 m on a path. Minibus fares from Tbilisi range from 1.5 to 3 GEL across sources; only Madloba mentions a “Bagineti” stop, so it is marked unofficial. The sack of Armazi is 736 in Wikipedia, 736–738 in Georgian Wikipedia and “the 730s” in Advantour; we give 736. The chronicles (via Wikipedia and Georgia Travel) put the founding in the 3rd century BC, TravelGuide.ge in the 4th; the earliest excavated layer is 4th–3rd century BC. Advantour and Live the World describe the wine cellar’s qvevri differently, so we give no numbers. We did not verify where the Armazi bilingual is kept today, so we do not say. ## Sources - National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia, “Great Mtskheta Archaeological State Museum-Reserve — Armaztsikhe (Bagineti)” - English Wikipedia, “Armazi” and “Mount Bagineti” - Russian Wikipedia, “Армази (город)” and “Армазская билингва” - Georgian Wikipedia, “არმაზციხე” - Georgian National Tourism Administration (Georgia Travel), “Armaztsikhe (Bagineti)” - Advantour, “Armaztsikhe-Bagineti near Mtskheta” - Visit Silk Road, “Armaztsikhe Armazi Bagineti Archeological Site” - Live the World, “Armaztsikhe-Bagineti — the excavated residence of the Iberian rulers” - Georgia Voyage, “Bagineti (Armaztsikhe) settlement” - TravelGuide.ge, “Armaztsikhe (Bagineti)” - Georgian Travel Guide, “Armazi Fortress” - Wikivoyage, “Mtskheta” - Travel Cost Calculator, “Historical Monuments of Mtskheta” - Lonely Planet, “Armaztsikhe-Bagineti” - Madloba, “Bus and minibus stop from Mtskheta to Tbilisi” and “Paying in Georgia for Russian tourists” - OpenStreetMap: excavation features, the bridge and routes from Svetitskhoveli --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.