For most people, a story is just a school textbook, a book with text telling about something of the past. And yet there are many places in the world that have preserved a piece of the past. You can learn about one of them by reading this article.
The history in this place is material, since 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 bygone days? You can find out about this historic city, everything related to these places, and much more by reading this article.
Location
80 km from Tbilisi, near the city of Gori, is the ancient city of Georgia. It existed almost until the beginning of the 19th century from the beginning of the very first millennium.
People left it on 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 eastward, 12 kilometers from Gori, on the left coast of the Kura.
Description
Interesting and peculiar Uplistsikhe (Georgia). How to get to it? First of all, we find out what it is.
The cave city was carved 3,000 years ago in the rocks of volcanic origin of the Kernaki ridge. Local sandstone turned out to be not only a good, malleable building material, it also became the cause of the destruction of a unique city.
The peculiarity of this monument is that, thanks to such an unusual device, it has preserved the remains of structures (religious and other architectural) built over several millennia. During its prosperity, the city consisted of approximately 700 caves. To date, only 150 of them have survived. Gorgeous and interesting Uplistsikhe. Georgia in its person has a unique architectural and historical work created by man and nature.
origin of name
The name "Uplistsikhe" this settlement received in ancient times. The surviving mentions of medieval Georgian historians connect the foundation of the settlement with Uplos, the son of Mtsketos (from mythology). Among other things, the reliability of such sources is mostly confirmed by materials found in these places by archaeologists. Therefore, in the scientific literature the name Uplistsikhe is associated with Uplos.
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 through various gifts, donations and sacrifices of a religious plan. The main square of the city was occupied by places of worship, and residential premises were not given much importance. Winemaking was quite widely developed, but not in the practical sense, but in the cult. Apparently, the wine produced here possessed sacred properties.
In those days (the Hellenistic period), Uplistsikhe was surrounded by magnificent forests, and grapes were brought from afar. He was raised to the main press located on the southwestern slope. The northern part of the city was occupied by a large winery ("Big Marani"). Several more smaller similar structures adjoined the largest religious buildings located in the central part of Uplistsikhe.
Georgia sacredly honors its history. In the writings of the great Georgian historians of the Middle Ages, mentions and stories about him are often found. Thus, this unique city is not forgotten by history.
There is one interesting point: no traces of pottery production and metal processing were found in this city. In all likelihood, both these materials and agricultural products also came from outside as gifts.
This is how they lived in the mysterious city of Uplistsikhe (Georgia).
How to get from Tbilisi, from Gori?
You can get to the cave city in various ways. If by train, you need to get to Uplistsikhe station.
From the capital of Georgia to these historical places, arrive from the bus station by shuttle bus to Gori, and then by train go to Kvakhveli station. Further to the final point you have to go on foot.
By car from Tbilisi all the way will take about an hour.
As mentioned earlier, at the Kura River, only 10 kilometers east of the city of Gori, Uplistsikhe (Georgia) is located.
How to get from Gori? You can walk from this settlement, although the road there is very monotonous and boring, and the heat prevents the passage of this path. But regular buses do not go to these parts, and hitchhiking is not very convenient, since cars do not often travel along these roads.
Modern Uplistsikhe
Since the 50s of the 20th century Uplistsikhe is a tourist center. A growing number of antiquity premises became accessible to tourists every year.
There is one touching point: the risk of damage to many buildings associated with sandstone erosion has increased, and therefore there is a need for restoration of Uplistsikhe caves. 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, serious damage can occur over the next 30 years. Urgent measures must be taken to preserve the resulting cracks, as this unique monument is located in a seismically active area.
The museum city in 2010 was landscaped for the convenience of visiting tourists: at the entrance there is a reception area where tickets are purchased and 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 associated with this unique monument:
• 20 years after the start of archaeological excavations, in 1977, valuable ancient household items and weapons were found. Today they are in the largest museums in Georgia. Since then, a thorough excavation of the area and subsequent restoration work began here. In the 1950s, the city 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 already received baptism, 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 Tamara was crowned (such references are in the Georgian chronicles).
• Several times the city fell into decay due to the fact that the Mongols burned it.
• The historical monument is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• The region is located in a zone of seismic activity, and therefore there is a risk that it may collapse at any time.
The caves of Uplistsikhe are one of the main monuments of the ancient culture of Georgia. Its unique uniqueness lies in the numerous surviving remains of religious and other architectural structures that convey the distinctive atmosphere of past centuries-old times.