Gonio Fortress

Gonio Fortress (ancient Apsaros) is a Roman fortification in Adjara, Georgia, on the Black Sea coast 12 km south of Batumi. First mentioned by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century AD, it was built under Emperor Vespasian and expanded by Hadrian. The rectangular fortress originally had 4 gates and 22 towers, of which 18 survive. Excavations revealed Roman baths with water pipes, military barracks, a praetorium, and mosaic floors. The site passed through Byzantine and Ottoman hands before Russian acquisition in 1878. It is traditionally believed to contain the grave of the Apostle Matthias.