On top of Mt. Apsara, looming high above Novy Afon, stands Anacopia Fortress, an ancient Abkhazian citadel. Built in the 2nd-4th centuries AD, the fortress has walls of hewn stone blocs, up to 60 cm thick, fitted tightly together. The only entrance was a small gate in the south side, built from three giant blocs of hewn limestone. The fortress' main fortification was a rectangular Roman tower four stories high, from which all of the surrounding area could be watched.

Anacopia's church, built in the center of the fortress sometime no later than the 8th century, was a single-apse basilica made of roughly hewn blocks of limestone and beach gravel. The altar has been partially preserved, and the frescoes of fishes (an ancient Christian symbol), a lion, a cross, and some inscriptions in Greek can still be seen.

A cistern, hewn 1500 years ago in the mountainside next to the church, is always filled with the purest water. Researchers have found a 1 m wide, 25 cm deep depression at the bottom of the cistern, through which the water, most likely coming from a karst spring, filters into the cistern.

An ancient burial ground in Anacopia was discovered to contain, alongside human remains, metal swords, daggers, and pikes. Between 300 and 400 AD, Anacopian craftsmen, in addition to weaponry, produced farming tools, jewelry, and decorations (rings, bracelets, glass necklaces, figurines, etc.). In the 4th century AD, Anacopia was a major town in southeastern Abkhazia, later becoming the seat of Abkhazia's rulers.

In the 8th century AD, Abkhazia's ruler Leon I took residence in the fortress, and Anacopia became the capital of Abkhazian Kingdom; Leon I led the defense of Anacopia during the Arab invasion, and defeated the Arab army led by the infamous warlord Mervan Kru (Mervan the Deaf). After taking such a whipping, the Arabs never made another attempt to invade Abkhazia.

Anacopia Fortress underwent restoration in 2008. The watch tower was restored as a lookout point. The slopes of Mt. Apsara and the road to the fortress were cleaned up and made safe.