Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia Feb 8, 2025

Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia

Winter turns Mestia"s medieval towers into icy fortresses. Perched 1,500 metres up in the Caucasus Mountains, Mestia is a charming highland town in northwest Georgia. The town is home to the Svans, a cultural and linguistic subgroup of Georgians. Despite its modest size, Mestia has been an essential hub of Georgian culture for centuries, dotted with the Svan defensive towers, seen in today"s image. Most of these towers were constructed between the 9th and 12th centuries, a period often referred to as Georgia"s Golden Age. However, their roots are believed to stretch even further back, possibly into prehistoric times. Built for both protection and shelter, these towers were not just fortresses but also integral parts of family homes, reflecting the region"s history of resilience and self-sufficiency. Therefore, it isn"t just a town; it"s a living museum where history rises from these towers and echoes through the mountains.

© photoaliona/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Feb 8, 2024Mount Hood, Oregon, USA

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 18, 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle
Oct 9, 2023Fremont petroglyphs, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, USA
Jul 14, 2024La Geria wine region, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
Aug 25, 2024Glacier National Park, Montana
Sep 27, 2025Tank Lakes, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington, United States
Jun 11, 2025Greater flamingos
Dec 10, 2024Lands End, Cornwall, England
Mar 31, 2025Ostuni, Apulia, Italy
Oct 19, 2023Castell y Gwynt, Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom
May 31, 2025Knuthöjdsmossen nature reserve, Sweden
May 24, 2025Jotunheimen National Park in Norway
Oct 2, 2024Wind River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA
Mar 19, 2025A black heron canopy hunting in Botswana
Oct 25, 2023Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA
Feb 21, 2024Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Nov 27, 2025Eastbourne Pier, England
Aug 5, 2024Lavender field, Hertfordshire, England
Jun 9, 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Navarra, Spain
Jul 15, 2025Great Basin National Park, Nevada, United States
Nov 24, 2023Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
May 9, 2025Common chameleon
Nov 28, 2023Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, Canada
May 20, 2024Bee tending a honeycomb
May 22, 2024Tasmanian snow gum, Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Apr 24, 2024White trilliums in Ontario, Canada
Feb 16, 2024Pyrrhuloxia bird
Jul 28, 2025Yurts in Mongolia
Sep 12, 2025Spinner dolphin pod
Jun 22, 2024Amazon rainforest, Brazil
May 27, 2025Heidelberg, Germany