With the support of the Ministry of Culture of Georgia, the National Agency for Protection of Cultural Heritage plans to rehabilitate the old prison of national importance and renovate the territory.
In parallel with the project work, they were on site: Tea Oniani, Director General of the National Agency for Protection of Cultural Heritage of Georgia; Deputy Mayor of Mtskheti Municipality Givi Giutashvili; Member of Parliament of Georgia Dimitri Khundadze and Head of the project group, Architect-Restaurator Merab Bochoidze. They visited the statue on site, learned about its current state and discussed planned rehabilitation work.
The project involves rehabilitation of damaged architectural elements of the prison, restoration-conservation of authentic parts, and long-term protection. Reinforcement works for the rocky relief and prison walls will be carried out at necessary sections.
Also, the rehabilitation and conservation of damaged sections of the prison walls and towers will be carried out, digging out cracks and stitches, covering the upper parts of the walls with dirt and conserving archaeological fragments found in the interior of the tower will be carried out.
Within the scope of the project, the climbing stone steps to the upper prison will be rehabilitated, the lower prison tower will be reinforced, the interior of the prison will be arranged, and minimalist benches and tax spaces will be arranged.
Complex rehabilitation works of the prison were carried out in 2014-2016, when a monolithic support wall was built to restore the northern slope of the prison, which was demolished by the drought processes in 2010.
The old man’s castle is located in the northern part of Mtskheti, on the right bank of the Aragvi River. It is also known in ancient sources as the “Belt Castle” and has performed an important defensive function for centuries. Archaeological excavations on its site confirm cultural layers of ancient and feudal times, suggesting the monument’s special historical significance.
