The Legend of Surami Fortress

The fortress protecting Surami is located in the northern part of his small town in the Shida Kartli region, overlooking a rocky cliff at the bank of Suramula River.

Out of all the fortresses existing in Georgia, this was considered one of the most vital.

An old legend says that the walls of the Surami Fortress owe their sturdiness to the fact that they have a man buried within them – a mother`s only child by the name of Zurab.

According to the legend`s narrative, the original builders had constant trouble putting up the walls of the fortress. No matter how well they built it, the walls kept crumbling for no apparent reason.

A fortune-teller told them that the walls would not hold unless a young man, an only child, was bricked up within them.

It was very hard for Zurab`s mother to part with her son, but she agreed to it out of love for her homeland (and a probably touch of old-fashioned pagan beliefs). 

She was present as her son was being buried alive by workers, calling to him until he was no longer able to respond. True to the prophecy, the walls of the fortress held after Zurab`s sacrifice.

That is the story about the famous fortress.