Dartlo

Where is Dartlo Village?

Abandoned for a long time due to the harsh weather conditions in the region, the village of Dartlo would often find themselves driven down into the Pirikita Alazani River Valley during the harsh winter months, only returning in the summer, if at all.

Of course, today modern infrastructure has made year-round habitation possible, with houses being restored and family-run hotels being established to accommodate tourists.

The Cultural Significance of Dartlo Village

It is not often that you find a village with so many monuments of cultural heritage in such a small area. Those include the petroglyphs, the Iakhsari Icon, the Dartlo Towers, the Dartlo Brewery, the residential complex of the Idoidze Family, fortress-houses, the Mariamtsminda or Maghaloeli House of Worship, and a 19th-century hall church. 

There is also the 16th-century Dartlo meeting hall or courthouse. Inside are twelve stone chairs for the jurors, and a tall-backed stone chair intended for the judge.

During the 18th century the presiding member of Dartlo Court was a woman for a period of ten years. She was famous for her eloquence and intelligence.

This court never passed down a death sentence, with the harshest possible sentence being exile from the village. However, the person so punished retained the right to petition to be allowed to return to the village after some years.

There are petroglyphs on the tombs and medieval towers in the village, depicting astronomical objects related to the ancient belief system of the Tushetians.