Mutso

Mutso is a fortified village of stone towers and houses clinging to a steep rocky ridge above the Andaki river in Khevsureti, about 12 km from Shatili. At 1,880 m it controlled one of the routes into Khevsureti from the north. Four battle towers rise above terraces of flat-roofed stone houses. The village was almost completely abandoned more than a century ago and stood as a ruin for decades, which makes the climb up through its empty lanes memorable.

A rehabilitation project began in 2004, and in 2019 the restored village received a Europa Nostra Award for heritage conservation. You reach it by driving from Shatili along the Argun and then the Andaki valley, followed by a steep climb of about 340 m to the towers. The path is short but exposed in places, and the views over the valley from the top are wide. Combine it with Shatili and the Anatori crypts on the same day.

Mutso guarded the Andaki valley route between the North Caucasus and Khevsureti and was built up over centuries as a defensive village. Its people left more than a century ago. Local legend tells of the Broliskalo Icon of the Archangel and a treasury hidden in the mountains. Restoration of the towers and houses began in 2004, and the work won a Europa Nostra Award in 2019.