The left bank of the Kura River was densely populated as early as the beginning of the Bronze Age, suggesting a high likelihood that people lived in the area where the city of Gori now stands. One might expect the history of this city to stretch back to ancient times, yet the evidence does not support such a notion. The first documented mentions of Gori date back to the 12th century. Prior to that, the city either did not exist, was not of interest to anyone, or the records have been lost over time. Throughout its history, Gori has been captured by various powers, including the Persians, the Turks, and even the Alans on one occasion. The Alans seized the city during their attempt to restore the Alanian state in 1292. At that time, Georgia was experiencing a period of chaos, which allowed the Alans to control the territory from Gori to Mtskheta, and Gori even became the capital of the newly formed “Transcaucasian Alania.” The Alans pretended to be subservient to the Georgian kings while simultaneously establishing good relations with the Persian Mongols, behaving quite independently.
This arrangement lasted for 30 years until Georgia managed to restore order. King George V launched several campaigns against the Alans in Gori, successfully reclaiming the city in 1326.
In 1541, during the reign of King Luarsab I, the Persians under Shah Tamaz captured Tbilisi and established a garrison there. Tbilisi became the capital of Persian-controlled Georgia, while the king relocated to Gori, which then served as the capital of Georgian resistance. The city maintained its status as the capital under King Simon (1556–1569), but following his death, the resistance waned, and Gori lost its capital status, which it had held for about thirty years.
In 1614, during his first campaign into Georgia, Shah Abbas camped near Gori for some time. It is said that he built a fortress there, likely the modern-day Gorisitsikhe, whose construction indeed reflects Eastern architectural elements.
In 1672, the French traveler Jean Chardin visited Gori. He described it as “a small town located in a valley between two mountains, on the banks of the Kura River at the foot of a high hill where a fortress with a Persian garrison stands. … This fortress is not particularly well fortified; its main strength lies in its location. The garrison consists of only one hundred men. The houses in Gori are made of clay, as is the guesthouse; the residents are all merchants and quite wealthy; one can find everything necessary for life at very low prices. The name of the city, Gori, derives from the Georgian word ‘gori,’ which means ‘pig,’ as there are many pigs there, and they are excellent in taste.” Chardin likely did not realize that the Georgian word for “pig” sounds similar but begins with a different letter. Nevertheless, the etymology of the city’s name remains somewhat unclear, though it is most likely derived from the Georgian “gora,” meaning “hill.”
According to a statistical description from 1770, “There is a city called Gori, inhabited by Orthodox Georgians, Catholics, and Armenians, with about five hundred households.” This indicates that the city was smaller than Tskhinvali or Telavi, yet twice the size of Surami.
Finally, the Gori earthquake on February 20, 1920, marked a turning point: all churches and secular buildings collapsed, the city was completely destroyed, and the population dwindled to just 5,000 people. In the 1930s, Gori was rebuilt almost from scratch. This is why the ancient character of the city is somewhat ambiguous—what we see today consists primarily of structures from the Soviet era.