The Madrasa and the library

In 1752, when the temple inside Rabati Castle was turned into a mosque by Ahmed Pasha Jaqeli, the governor of Akhaltsikhe also established a Muslim theological school, called madrasa, and a library.

The classrooms were located on the first floor, the living rooms on the second floor. The library was located in the northern part of the building and it contained a rather diverse collection of literature, with manuscripts in Old Persian, Ancient Arabic, Ancient Greek and of course in Ancient Georgian being kept here.

In 1828 the region was occupied by the Russians under the command of Prince Ivan Paskevich. The library and its books were practically destroyed during the invasion, but a small part of it is still preserved in a museum in St. Petersburg in Russia.

Under the rule of the Russian Empire and also during the Soviet era, the madrasa rooms were primarily used for military purposes. Only the pillars and metal fixtures have survived in their original form from the 18th century to the present day.

Picture credits: beyondarts GmbH

Project “Increased regional added value in the tourism sectors of Georgia by Digital Heritage Tourism Guides” was funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation.