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Back in 2006 I spent three months traveling around the Black Sea. I saw some wonderful and memorable sights but two in particular were really amazing. The first was the Gallipoli battlefields and memorials in western Turkey, the other was the Uplistsikhe Cave City in central Georgia.
Uplistsikhe (pronounced Oo-lis-si-he, that's nothing you should try looking for the name in Georgian script) is situated about ten kilometres from the town of Gori. It's about an hour from the capital, Tbilisi, though it's certainly worth staying in Gori if you have the chance.
Uplistsikhe is now a UNESCO recognised site and, in conjunction with financial aid from the World Bank, the Georgian government is working hard to protect it from further damage.
Uplistsikhe is important because of the combination of pagan and Christian evidence linked to it. Situated just a couple of kilometres from the ancient Silk Road route, Uplistsikhe was a major trading centre and a place where the archaeology demonstrates strong links with Asia Minor, Armenia and Iran amongst others. Although there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the caves were inhabited long before, historians have been able to ascertain that Uplistsikhe was a thriving community during the Bronze Age (about 1000 BC). As a community
it was at the peak of its development in the early Middle Ages when some 20,000 people were thought to live there though it had gradually become less important within the region from about the fourth century AD with the arrival of Christianity in Georgia. Up until then Uplistsikhe had been well known as being a centre of pagan culture. In the ninth century a church was built over the site of the pagan sun temple which had been at the heart of the old community.
In the thirteenth century the invading Mongols devastated Uplistsikhe and in subsequent centuries severe earthquakes did substantial damage to what remained. Of the seven hundred or so caves, only about one hundred and fifty now exist. Fortunately it's more than enough for an illuminating visit.
HOW TO GET THERE
There is a bus that passes near the site and you catch it from the market in Gori...in theory. When we arrived at the teeming bus station we found a small shed which was the information office. We asked for Uplistsikhe and the not so helpful lady in the shed pointed to a handwritten timetable pinned to the shed exterior. Unfortunately for us it was entirely in Georgian and we could glean nothing from it. Seconds later we were rescued by a young American who spoke a smattering of Georgian and he showed us where the bus would leave from in an hour. In plenty of time we returned to the bus stop to find that there were no longer any buses in sight. It was the only bus to Uplistsikhe that day.
Instead we negotiated with a taxi driver who for 20 Lari would take us there, wait and bring us back to town. His ramshackle Lada with no functioning windows, no suspension and no seatbelts appeared no more dangerous than the bus so we agreed. From the centre of Gori it's a lovely journey through rural villages where barefoot children with grimy faces chase passing cars and old ladies trudge along carrying massive buckets of soft fruit.
It's possible to take the electric train from Tbilisi towards Borjormi and get off at Kve-Khvareli and walk the two kilometres or so to Uplistsikhe. Don't go to the train station named Uplistsikhe, it's much further away than Kve-Khvareli. The problem with this is that there is only one very early service each day.
You can also negotiate with taxi drivers in Tbilisi who will wait and take you back to the city. The benefit of this is that the more passengers the less the cost to each.
EXPLORING THE SITE
Entrance to the site costs 10 Lari for adults. You pay at a small window built into the exterior wall of the site and proceed through the gate. We were enthusiastically followed by a Georgian man in his forties who offered to be our guide. He said that he usually did tours in other languages and because his English was not fantastic he would give us a discount on his usual price. For the sum of US$5 he would show us around the site. We were a little sceptical but the cost was so little and his English was much better than he was giving himself credit for. Suddenly he pointed to a passing butterfly; it was delicate and its colours were vivid and exotic. He told us what it was and then he pointed to some plants and explained that this kind of butterfly was only found in this region of Georgia because it thrived on those particular plants. He had us hooked! His services were engaged immediately. His name was Georghe and with his knowledge and enthusiasm he brought our visit to life.
There are no official guides at Uplistisikhe; local people who can speak a foreign language and who are interested in history earn money by working freelance at the site. There are no signs inside the site and no staff other than at the admission gate.
Without a guide it would be almost impossible to know just what you are looking at. To us it looked simply like a load of old caves with a church perched on the top. However, with Georghe's help, we saw a theatre with a stage and seating for the audience; we saw an ancient pharmacy and spotted the place where the drugs were stored to keep them dry; we saw the personal cave of the King of the city and we were shown where his wine was pressed and the cellars where it was stored. We were shown what remains of the interior of the basilica and Georghe pointed out the marks on the wall where the lights would have burned, even some very faded paintings.
All the small finds that were excavated from Uplistsikhe since the work began in 1957 are now housed in the National Museum in Tbilisi. I didn't know this until after I had left the capital. It would be great if, money allowing, those items could in the future be moved to Gori to be closer to Uplistsikhe. However, the remains of the cave city are fascinating without them though I suspect that seeing them in the museum in Tbilisi out of context and not visiting the cave city is something of a let down.
Sitting on top of the rocky crag that the caves are set into is the Uplistulis Eklesia - the Princes Church - which dates from the ninth century. It's tiny but inside are hundreds of gleaming golden icons which create a very special atmosphere. At the door an old lady keeps guard, sitting silently under her black clothes and headscarf. At the end of the tour Georghe left us to explore the site a bit more and suggested we go down to the tunnel which leads to the river. A staircase has been built inside it to make it easier to walk through it. It hasn't done anything to get rid of the bats that inhabit it, alas. The tunnel was used most often in later centuries after the city had been abandoned and the people of Gori took to the caves to escape invaders. They need to be able to get water from the river unseen so they opened up the tunnel again.
Admittedly, Uplistsikhe is off the beaten track; not many tourists venture to Georgia, fewer still make it out of the capital. In terms of visual impact and historic importance, Uplistsikhe is on a par with the cave dwellings of Cappdoccia in Turkey and is certainly worth the effort it takes to get there.
Almost hidden in the sandstone crags on the bank of the Mtkvari River, Uplistsikhe is in some of Georgia's most beautiful countryside. It's hard to imagine that this part of the world rose out of the sea; the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea were at one time just one body of water and Georgia literally rose out of the sea. It's only when you sit down on the rocks to admire the view that you start to spot the little seashells in the rock.
At Uplistsikhe what you see is what you get; there is no visitors centre, no refreshment kiosk, not even a toilet. Georgia gets very hot in summer so do take some water with you and do make you sure you are protected from the sun. You need to wear sturdy shoes with non-slipsoles and the site is not recommended for people with mobility problems or young children because there is a fair bit of climbing. There are no footpaths as such and you need to be wary all the time when walking.
Uplistsikhe is a thoroughly fascinating place to visit and one I shall never forget!
(As of April 2008, 10 Georgian Lari = £3.48)
Pictures of Uplistsikhe Cave City, Georgia
Me and Georghe talk history
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