During the 1887-89 excavations conducted by French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan, the site of a historical cemetery was unveiled with some bronze and iron objects, weapons, and ornaments dating back to the 8th century BC.

[4][2] The partially-ruined Akhtala Fortress was built on top of Bronze and Iron Age foundations, in the late 10th century by the Kyurikids, a branch of the Bagratunis originated from Gurgen (pronounced Kyurikeh in the local dialect of Gugark).

He was the son of the patrons of Sanahin and Haghpat monasteries located not far from Akhtala, King Ashot III the Merciful and Queen Khosrovanush.

[5] The Bagratuni King Smbat II of Armenia founded the Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget in Gugark for strategic reasons and enthroned his brother Kiurike I in 979.

When the Tashir-Dzoraget kingdom fell in 1118 as a result of the Seljuk raids, the Kyurikids migrated to Tavush and Matsnaberd, yet they maintained ties with their ancestral fortress and compound in Akhtala.

In 1118–1122, the Georgian king David the Builder conquered Lori and granted the region's rule to the Georgian-Armenian Orbelian dynasty.

Later in 1185, Lori became ruled by the Mkhargrdzeli family after Queen Tamar of Georgia appointed the Zakarid prince Sarkis as its governor.

This medieval Christian complex which is located inside the fortress, was one of the important educational centres in the historical province of Gugark.

[7] The region became officially part of the Russian Empire at the Treaty of Gulistan signed on 1 January 1813 between Imperial Russia and Qajar Persia.

With the British intervention the Lori "neutral zone" was created including the region of Akhtala, only to be reoccupied by Georgia after the fall of the Armenian Republic at the end of 1920.

In 1995, the newly adopted administrative divisions law of independent Armenia reaffirmed the status of Akhtala as an urban community within Lori.

Being situated in the valley of Debed river at a height of 740 meters above sea level, Akhtala has a subtropical climate with cool and dry summers and mild winters.

The main church of the complex is famous for its highly artistic frescoes, which cover the inside walls, the partitions, and the bearings of the building.