Svan Tower

Svan towers refer to tower houses built as defensive residences. These tower houses are common in the historical Svaneti region of Georgia and are located today in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region. The oldest tower house in the area was built in the 8th or 9th century, and the newest tower house was built in the 18th century. The length of a Svan tower varies on average between 20 and 25 meters and is usually four or five stories high. Rarely, six-story Svan towers are also seen. Ground floors, whose walls can be up to 1.5 meters thick, generally have no doors or windows. The entrance to the tower is usually one level above the ground floor. The upper part of the tower is narrower than the lower part, and the thickness of the walls varies between 0.7 and 0.8 meters. The floors are connected by a wooden staircase. The upper part of the tower ends with a crowned ceiling. There are holes on all four sides of the tower. Svan towers have either been rebuilt or are out of use. In the 21st century, towers are mainly used to store food resources and agricultural products.