Many places of interest and recreation zones in Adjara draw visitors due to their uniqueness and authenticity. Machakhela Gorge, located high in the mountains in the protected area of a national park, has a special place on the list.
Aside from the stunning natural beauty, Gun Machakhela is the highlight of Machakhela Gorge. Right beside the river, there is a sculpture dedicated to the gun.
The production of firelocks and pistols in this Gorge began in the second half of the nineteenth century and continued until the early twentieth century. Screw-barreled and smooth-barreled guns were the best manufactured here, and they were well-known and popular outside of the Caucasus.
The gun manufacturing facilities were located in various villages throughout the Gorge, including Zeda Chkhutuneti, Tskhemlara, Gorgadzeti, Khetvi-Kavtareti, Eprati, and Zedvake, where entire families of gun masters lived. The Nagervadzes from Zeda Chkhutuneti, the Kavtaradze family from Khetvi-Kavtareti, the Gorgadzes and the Gvianidzes from Gorgadzeti were considered the best masters of their trade. The last three surnames appeared in the "TbetiSynodal Records."
These days, such unique gun masters are very rare in the Gorge. If you visit Machakhela today, you will get acquainted with many sights and stories about the heroic past of the place and the Machakhela Gun, the eternal symbol of the Gorge.
The Machakhela gun's unique machine tool is in the Adjara State Museum. With its location in southwest Georgia, Machakhela Gorge was one of the major centres of Adjara-Guria gun manufacturing.
