Artanuj
Artanuj is a fortified city in southwestern Georgia, in historical Klarjeti, on the left bank of the Artanujistskali river. The name derives from Laz language — Artanish-Uji, which means “edge of Ardahan”. According to Georgian sources, Vakhtang Gorgasali (5th century) entrusted the construction of a fortress on the rock of the village of Artanuj to his foster-sibling (the son of his nursemaid) Artavaz, and appointed him as the prince there. The king intended to keep the fortress as a royal shelter in case of emergency. In the first half of the 8th century, Artanuj was destroyed by the Arab commander Marwan Ibn Muhammad; In the 9th century, it was restored by Ashot I the Great (Couropalate). He built a church named after the apostles Peter and Paul in the fortress, and built a city at the foot of it. Since then, it has been referred to as the center of the curopalate of Georgians. Ashot I Couropalate is buried in the church of Artanuj fortress. According to the 10th century Byzantine source (Constantine Porphyrogenitus), Artanuj was strongly fortified and had a large rabati (residential area, market). At that time goods came here from Trabzon, Iberia, Abasgia, Armenia and Syria. The great significance of Artanuj is also indicated by the fact that the representatives of the Klarjeti branch of the Georgian Bagrations carried the title of Artanujian. The noblemen of Artanuj were loyal servants of the Georgian king and provided great help to him in the fight against Baghuashi (11th century). From the 13th century, Artanuj was under the rule of Atabeg of Samtskhe. In 1553, it was seized by the Turks. In the 17th–18th centuries, Artanuj was the center of the administrative unit Artanuj Livi (?). Currently, it is a village and is within the borders of Turkey.
Source: ქათიბ ჩელების ცნობები საქართველოსა და კავკასიის შესახებ, გ. ალასანიას გამოც., თბ., 1978; ქართლის ცხოვრება, ს. ყაუხჩიშვილის გამოც., ტ. 1, თბ., 1955; ჩილდირის ეიალეთის ჯაბა დავთარი. 1694 – 1732 წწ. ც. აბულაძის და მ. სვანიძის გამოც., თბ., 1979.
Literature: შანიძე ა., თხზ. თორმეტ ტომად, ტ. 2, თბ., 1981; ჯანაშია ს., შრომები, [ტ.] 5, თბ., 1987.
D. Berdzenishvili
