Artvin Castle

Artvin Castle, also known as Livane Castle, is the castle in the city of Artvin, the administrative center of Artvin Province. The castle's high walls encircle the rock on which it stands. Its several‑storey tower has survived to the present day in quite good condition. Among the other structures in the castle, the quadrangular building on the east side draws attention. This building is thought to have been a church. Parts of the castle's cistern and fragments of the cubes known as kvevri have reached the present day. The restored Artvin Castle is referred to by the public as “Livane Castle”.

Artvin Castle was built in 937 by the Georgian king George I. After it passed into Ottoman hands in the middle of the 16th century, it was repaired and expanded. The small castle of Artvin controlled the entrance to the city of Artvin and the crossing of the Çoruh River. Because it was formerly located within a military zone, it could be visited only with special permission and in the accompaniment of a soldier. The castle was restored in 2004 and, after being illuminated in 2012, was opened to visitors.