Erekle II's palace
With a Persian-style balcony.
shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates — CC BY 2.0 · Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Lasha ge — CC BY-SA 4.0 · shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates — CC BY 2.0 · MaxBenidze — CC BY-SA 4.0
The kings' fortress in Telavi, capital of Kakheti, the wine region of eastern Georgia. Its stone walls and towers date from the seventeenth century, and inside stands the palace of King Erekle II, the last great king of eastern Georgia, born here in 1720 and died here in 1798 after signing the protectorate treaty with Russia. An arched gate in the high wall leads into a court holding the small palace with its Persian-style wooden balcony, two old churches and the remains of a royal bath. The palace houses a museum of the king's furniture, weapons and portraits, and another building a history museum and paintings by Georgian artists. In front of the fortress stands an equestrian statue of King Erekle. A small entry fee is charged for the museums, which usually open from ten until six and sometimes close on Mondays, so check before going. Near the fortress grows a giant plane tree said to be almost nine hundred years old. Telavi is about two hours by car from Tbilisi and a good base for a Kakheti round: monasteries, vineyards and Lake Ilia at Kvareli.
With a Persian-style balcony.
And stone towers.
About nine centuries old.
Centre of Telavi, capital of the Kakheti region
The last great king of eastern Georgia, born and died in this palace, who signed the protectorate treaty with Russia in 1783.