Mere Castle

Mere Castle, also called Mayres, lies north of the hamlet of Buchaani, in the Dusheti municipality in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region in Georgia. It is situated on a wooded slope on the left bank of the Tetri Aragvi River.

The, somewhat D-shaped, keep of Mere Castle is its oldest part, exactly when it was built is unknown. In the 2nd half of the 17th century some buildings and a curtain wall were added further down the slope on its southeast side. At that time it was owned by the Vashmala of Chartli gorge who were taxing the locals. Apparently they were taxing too heavily and the locals revolted. The occupants of the castle had to flee with the help of the Khevsur tribe.

Later Mere Castle was used by non-Georgian treasurers and to protect the locals.

In 1983 the castle ruin was consolidated.

At present Mere Castle lies on an inaccessible slope and can thus not be visited. But it can easily be seen from the S-3 highway leading north to the Russian border. An attractive castle ruin.

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