Tower of Love in Svaneti

This three-story tower has high floors that are connected with one another by vertical stairs, although you should be especially careful when climbing them. The thick walls of the tower have stood for centuries and are likely to stand for many more. 

The root of the tower’s name lies in local legend. Once upon a time, Miaguli Pirveli, a beautiful woman, met a skilled hunter called Otia Margvelani during the Kvirikoba festival. They fell in love, but Otia was married and had five children, while Miaguli did not want to ruin her beloved’s family.

Saddened by this story, Otia went hunting, fell into the river and died. His wife could not bear the pain of her husband’s death and jumped into the Enguri river as well. According to the legend, the husband and wife turned into trout. Miaguli asked her father to build a tower on the boulder, where she lived till the end of her life, feeding the fishes every day. 

Once the water level in Enguri decreases, a pure spring appears from the bottom of the boulder, which is said to be Miaguli’s tears.