The ruins of the ancient historical city-fortress of Petra are located on the territory of the village Tsikhisdziri.The fortress dates back to the 6th century AC. Historically it used to be the settlement territory for one of the Kartvelian tribes known as the Laz people. Owing to its exceptional military- strategic and trade-economic location, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian built a city here. An important road passed through the city connecting Western Georgia, Byzantine provinces, Iran and Armenia. Coastline navigation was also very well developed. By the middle Ages, Petra Fortress had become so impregnable that it was called the “Kajeti Fortress” according to the legendary poem of Shota Rustaveli the knight in the panther's skin.