Gonio Fortress

Adjara, near Batumi, Georgia

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Gonio Fortress is a well-preserved Roman-era fortification in Adjara, Georgia, located about 15 km south of Batumi near the Black Sea coast at the mouth of the Chorokhi River.

Built in the 1st century AD as Apsaros by the Romans to guard strategic trade routes and the empire's eastern frontier, it features a rectangular layout spanning roughly 4.5 hectares with sturdy walls up to 5 meters high, 18 surviving towers out of an original 22, and four gates, later reinforced by Byzantine and Ottoman forces until the 19th century.

Archaeological digs have uncovered Roman baths, barracks, mosaics, coins, and infrastructure like water systems, while today it operates as a museum-reserve showcasing layers of history from pre-feudal times through medieval reconstructions. The site draws visitors for its dramatic stone architecture, panoramic views, and legends linking it to Greek mythology, such as the burial of Absyrtus from the Argonaut tale.​