Archaeological and Architectural Museum-Reserve “Peter-fortress” is located in the village Tsikhisdziri and includes a medieval castle complex Petra and its surroundings. Ancient historical fortress city of Petra is one of the most significant monuments of the material culture of the entire east coast of the Black Sea. Produced excavations revealed several archaeological sites from different historical periods.
Petra- comes from Greek word and means “a rock”. The walled city of Petra was built by the Byzantines in the VI century, on the basis II century Laz Fortress. From the Petra Fortress controlled the sea-coastal shipping from Byzantium towards the eastern shores of the Black Sea. Byzantium and Persia were very interested in the possession of Petra, as from control over Petra fortress depended on their political and economic expansion in the region. This is what has been one of the causes of war between Byzantium and Persia in the middle of the VI century, and later between Russia and Turkey. Some scholars identify Petra fortress with the Kadjeti fortress from “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin”.