The Georgian Chronicles credit Guaram Mampali, son of the King of Tao, and the article says it was completed in the 9th century. It was first called Lomsia, then renamed Akhal-tsikhe, meaning New Fortress, in the late 12th century. The floor area is 750,000 square feet (70,000 m²). The article names no architect, materials or overall style.
In 1752 Haji Ahmed-Pasha Jaqeli built a mosque inside, modeled on Hagia Sophia, with a madrasah and minaret. Russian forces took the fortress in 1828, and the building was consecrated as a church in 1850. The article gives the church use as ending in 1920, though its own arithmetic does not match.
A reconstruction in 2011 and 2012 restored the walls, citadel, baths and mosque. The article gives two cost figures and no owner.
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