Omalo

Omalo

The clan towers on Keselo Hill are the most significant example of the Tusheti defense architecture. Their foundations date back to the 15th-16th century after the period of Tamerlane's raids. They were commonly inhabited in summer, when the locals were most threatened by raids from neighboring Dagestan (mainly by the Didos, frequently mentioned in local legends) or from Chechnya. The towers were maintained until the 19th century. When Shamil's resistance was suppressed in 1859 and the Russian power in the Caucasus was stabilized, their maintenance lost any sense and the inhabitants of Omalo gradually moved to more comfortable houses which today form Upper Omalo (see the picture from 1886 above).

The towers successively dilapidated. The Second World War meant their epilogue as the Red Army mined them and blew them up (you may still find holes as remnants of the dugouts of the Soviet garrison). The official argument for the destruction of the towers was the concern over the advancement of the German Army, which was still relatively far, though. The real reason apparently was to eliminate one of the main symbols of Tusheti so as to allow for smoother forced transfer of local inhabitants to the controlled Kakheti. The event may also be associated with the uprising under command of Adam Bobghiashvili.

Under the auspices of the Keselo Fund and with the support of the Dutch Bradshaw Foundation, seven of the towers (two in 2012-2013) have been reconstructed since the year 2000. The archaeological findings from 2013-2016 apparently show the foundations of another building. One of the towers houses an interesting ethnographic museum (keys from the museum available from Nugzar Idoidze in Hotel Tusheti Tower; entrance fee GEL 5, the guide speaks Russian).

In Omalo you can visit a local church from the 19th century (regularly open in summer and accessible for women). Church services are held sporadically; the priest is mainly present at the time of the Tushetoba festival. Below the castle of Keselo you can find a small brewery (with an information board) where they have been making beer for religious festivals until today (remember, women in their period and foreign women in general are not allowed to enter).

A hillock dominating the village is a sacred place where women have no access. Local legends say that spiritual powers arise from the earth and heavenly powers descend here. A rumor goes around that a mysterious light appears from time to time above the hill. Legend has it that the Dagestan Army built a camp there one day in order to besiege Keselo. One of the Keselo defenders saw how the enemy's commander was walking on the top of the hill. Hence, he took his cross-bow and shot him dead with a single shot. Deprived of their commander, the army retreated.

Legend of the sacred hillock above Omalo

Once there came the large Dagestan Army towards Keselo. The locals hid in the towers and the enemies began to plunder the villages and feast. The enemies' zurnas (horns) and drums echoed in the tower. On the third day, the Dagestani naib (commander) in his white coat came up the hillock and fearlessly pottered about. One of the defenders, however, called at one of his fellow warriors:

"Mika! Charge your khirimi (weapon) with twice the amount of gunpowder as it might reach the hill." Mika charged the gun as advised and with a single shot from the fort he killed the naib on Karate Hill. The commander's death was traditionally a bad sign for the Dagestani. Thus, they ceased fire at once, loaded their commander's dead body and retreated.

Visitor's center and Lower Omalo

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