- Type
- Ruin
- Coordinates
- 42.2639°, 43.0481°
History
Skande stood on the border between Lazica – the western Georgian kingdom of Egrisi – and Iberia, guarding the routes from the east into the interior together with the nearby fortress of Sarapanis, today's Shorapani. The Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea describes it as a stronghold in rugged country whose supplies had to be carried in on men's backs. During the Lazic War in the mid-6th century Skande was taken by the Persians, and the area returned to Lazica only after peace was made between Byzantium and Persia. In the Middle Ages the fortress formed part of Imereti's defences before eventually falling into ruin.
What to see
The remains of the walls lie on a hill by the village of Skande in Terjola municipality, in the green region of Imereti. The ruin has no visitor facilities, but the site combines well with the churches of the area and with Shorapani, the other fortress described by Procopius. The hill looks out over the valley and the wooded hills of western Georgia.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q16375846
Popularity: articles about this site in 16 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).