▁a ▁Justin ian ian ▁expansion ▁of ▁an ▁earlier ▁small ▁Roman ▁fort . ▁The ▁site ▁is ▁ins cribed ▁on ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Heritage ▁of ▁Georgia ▁list ▁and ▁protected ▁as ▁the ▁Ts ik his d zi ri – P etra ▁Arch ae ological ▁and ▁Arch itect ural ▁Museum ▁Reserve . ▁▁▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁to ▁have ▁suggested ▁Ts ik his d zi ri ▁as ▁a ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁Roman - era ▁city ▁of ▁Pet ra ▁was ▁the ▁Greek ▁Patri arch ▁of ▁Jerusalem , ▁D os it he os ▁II , ▁who ▁tou red ▁western ▁Georgia ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 7 0 s . ▁This ▁view ▁was ▁shared ▁by ▁the ▁leading ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁students ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Georgia , ▁such ▁as ▁Marie - F é lic ité ▁B ros set ▁and ▁Dim it ri ▁Bak rad ze , ▁and ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁more ▁solid ▁scholar ly ▁foot ing ▁by ▁Simon ▁Jan ash ia ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁There ▁are ▁some ▁modern ▁sch ol ars ▁who ▁have ▁rejected ▁the ▁identification ▁of ▁Pet ra ▁with ▁the ▁Ts ik his d zi ri ▁site , ▁such ▁as ▁Simon ▁K au kh ch ish v ili , ▁a ▁transl ator ▁and ▁critical ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁sources ▁on ▁Georgia , ▁and ▁G ur am ▁Gr ig olia . ▁ ▁Bishop ric ▁ ▁The ▁dioc ese , ▁pla us ibly ▁a ▁suff rag an ▁of ▁Ph asis ▁as ▁listed ▁in ▁the ▁An nu ario ▁Pont if io , ▁didn ' t ▁surv