river. The village sits 4km north of the Turkish border. The oldest reference to the fortress is by Pliny the ElderPlin. Nat.Hist. 6.4. in the Natural History (1st century AD). There is also a reference to the ancient name of the site in Appian’s Mithridatic WarsApp. Mithr. 15.101. (2nd century AD). In the 2nd century AD it was a well-fortified Roman city within Colchis. The town was also known for its theatre and hippodrome. It later came under Byzantine influence. The name "Gonio" is fi… (More on Gonio)