Samshvilde Canyon Natural Monument


Samshvilde Canyon Natural Monument is part of Khrami gorge that provided natural defense to fortress Samshvilde in the area around confluence of the rivers Khrami and Chivchavi near Samshvilde village and ruins of historic Samshvilde located in Tetritsqaro Municipality, in Kvemo Kartli region of southeastern Georgia, 548-605 meters above sea level. Samshvilde Canyon also include part of Chivchav gorge in the same location, since historically it also was part of fortress Samshvilde natural defences.

Morphology

Samshvilde Canyon was created by erosion in volcanic plateau. Samshvilde Canyon is about 5-6 km long in the middle part of the Khrami River valley and a 3-4 km long in Chivchav river valley. The depth of the Samshvilde Canyon is 300 meters on average. The ruins of fortress Samshvilde, that gave name to the canyon, stands on a naturally fortified cape at the confluence of the rivers, Khrami and Chychavka, and offers magnificent views of the canyon.
Samshvilde Canyon features the intrusive rocks of a stripped quartz-porphyry, which, as a result of its depletion, splits into a beautifully folded bi-pyramidal crystals of magmatic quartz. These quartz crystals are the truly remarkable natural feature of this canyon.