About 100 m from Lykhny cathedral there are grass-grown ruins of Chachba-Shervashdze Palace , Abkhazian sovereigns (the 11 th - 19 th centuries). For a long time this palace remained impregnable. The long time villagers remember the legend: to provide the palace impregnability it was necessary to sacrifice the most handsome young man and the most beautiful young girl by means of immuring them within the thick walls. Despite of all the fabulousness of the legend, no one managed to destroy the palace of Abkhazian princes but time. The examination of the two-level palace ruins revealed two building layers: more ancient walls were completed by newer ones in the 19 th century. The rough surface of the walls is interrupted by ragged apertures of windows and doors. The entrance arch resting on the columns is clearly visible. The walls of the palace lobby located on the first level are also made in the form of stone arches; the dome is supported by the low octahedral drum. One of walls contains a six-point star which was bricked between the windows. Each room both on the first and the second levels has a fireplace. Later in the 19 th century the palace was reconstructed and considerably expanded. But after the last revolt of 1866 when military officials tried to hide inside the palace walls, the building was damaged and began to collapse gradually. |
