Uplistsikhe, Georgia: attractions and photos

For most people, history is just a school textbook, a book with a text that tells about something past. And yet there are many places in the world that have preserved a part of the old past. You can find out about one of them by reading this article.

History in this place is material, because it has both color and form. This is Uplistsikhe, Georgia. How to get to this amazing place to see everything with your own eyes and feel the atmosphere of old times? About this historic city, everything that concerns these places, and many other things you can learn by reading this article.

Location:

80 km from Tbilisi, near the city of Gori, is the ancient city of Georgia. It existed practically until the beginning of the 19th century from the beginning of the first millennium.

People from him went to the shore of Mtkvari, and from there they already crossed the river and created a completely new settlement.

Uplistsikhe (Georgia) is a cave city carved into a wide mountain rock. It is located in the eastern direction, 12 kilometers from Gori, on the left coast of the Kura.

Description

Interesting and peculiar Uplistsikhe (Georgia). How to get there? First of all, we find out what it is.

Cave town is carved 3000 years ago in the rocks of the volcanic origin of the Kernaki Range. Local sandstone was not only a good, pliable building material, it became the reason for the destruction of the unique city.

The peculiarity of this monument is that, thanks to this unusual arrangement, it has preserved the remains of structures (cult and other architectural ones) built over several millennia. During its prosperity, the city consisted of approximately 700 caves. By now, only 150 of them have survived. Splendid and interesting Uplistsikhe. Georgia in his person has a unique architectural and historical work, created by man and nature.

origin of name

The name "Uplistsikhe" received this settlement back in ancient times. The surviving mentions of medieval historians of Georgia connect the base of the settlement with Ublos, the son of Mskketos (from mythology). Among other things, the reliability of such sources is mostly confirmed by the materials found in these places by archaeologists. Therefore in the scientific literature the name Uplistsikhe is associated with Ublos.

However, there is another version. This interpretation is based on the modern Georgian language. According to her, "Uplos" is associated with the common word "lord". It turns out that Uplistsikhe from Georgian means "the fortress of the lord."

How did you live in the city?

Uplistsikhe (Georgia) existed at the expense of various gifts, donations and sacrifices of the religious plan. The main square of the city was occupied with religious buildings, and the living quarters here were not given much importance. Wine production was rather widely developed, but not in a practical sense, but in a cult. Apparently, the wine produced here had sacred properties.

In those days (the Hellenistic period) the town of Uplistsikhe was surrounded by magnificent forests, and grapes were brought from afar. He was taken to the main davilnyu located on the south-west slope. The northern part of the city was occupied by a large wine store ("Big Marani"). A few more smaller similar structures adjoined the largest cult structures located in the central part of Uplistsikhe.

Georgia piously honors its history. In the writings of the great Georgian historians of the Middle Ages, there are often references and stories about him. Thus, this unique city is not forgotten by history.

There is one interesting point: in this city there are no traces of pottery production and processing of metals. In all likelihood, these materials and agricultural products also came from outside as gifts.

Roughly lived in the mysterious city Uplistsikhe (Georgia).

How to get from Tbilisi, from Gori?

You can reach the cave city in different ways. If by train, then you need to get to Uplistsikhe station.

From the capital of Georgia in these historic places to come from the bus station on the shuttle bus to Gori, and then by train go to the station Kovahvreli. Next to the end point will have to go on foot.

By car from Tbilisi all the way will take about an hour.

As mentioned earlier, Uplistsikhe (Georgia) is located near the Kura River, just 10 kilometers east of the city of Gori.

How to get from Gori? From this village you can walk, although the road there is very monotonous and boring, and the heat prevents the passage of this path. But regular buses to these regions do not go, and hitchhiking is not very convenient, because cars do not often drive on these roads.

Modern Uplistsikhe

Since the 50s of the 20th century Uplistsikhe is a tourist center. More and more rooms of antiquity became accessible every year to tourists.

There is one touching moment: the danger of damage to many structures associated with sandstone erosion has increased, so there was a need to restore the caves Uplistsikhe. Georgia was unable to allocate sufficient funds for its reconstruction, and to top it all off, a new small earthquake in 2000 severely damaged a certain part of the historical monument.

According to experts' forecasts, serious damage can occur during the next 30 years. It is necessary to take urgent measures to preserve the formed cracks, since this unique monument is located in a seismically active area.

The city museum in 2010 was landscaped for the convenience of visiting tourists: at the entrance there is a reception area where tickets are purchased and the necessary information is provided. Also near Uplistsikhe there is a camping area where you can park with tents to relax among the magnificent natural landscapes.

It is interesting

There are some interesting historical moments related to this unique monument:

• Twenty years after the beginning of the archaeological excavations, in 1977, valuable old objects of everyday use and weapons were found. They are currently in the largest museums in Georgia. Since then, here and began a thorough excavation of the area and subsequent restoration work. In the 1950s the town of Uplistsikhe received the status of a tourist center.

• In 337 the city of Uplistsikhe became a major stronghold of paganism. Georgia at that time was already baptized, and all these processes (the struggle of different beliefs) led to war and even to the destruction of the temple of the Sun.

• It was in Uplistsikhe in 1178 that Queen Tamar was crowned (such mention is in the Georgian annals).

• Several times the city fell into decay due to the fact that it was burned by the Mongols.

• The historical monument is included in the UNESCO heritage list.

• The region is located in the zone of seismic activity, so there is a risk that it can collapse at any time.

The caves of the town Uplistsikhe are one of the main monuments of the ancient culture of Georgia. Its unique uniqueness lies in the preserved numerous remains of cult and other architectural structures that convey the original atmosphere of the past centuries.