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Georgia

After completing customs and immigrations formalities we arrive in Georgia at our first stop the Alaverdi Monastery. It is a Georgian Eastern Orthodox monastery located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia. While parts of the monastery date back to 6th century, the present day cathedral was built in the 11th century by Kvirike III of Kakheti, replacing an older church of St. George.

No one is allowed into the church with shorts on which I was wearing. So I am modeling the local fashion worn over the shorts. It was one size fits all. I think the waist could have gone the length around a washing machine The pants were huge.

What do you think?

Alaverdi Cathedral was the tallest religious building in Georgia, until the construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, which was consecrated in 2004

Situated in the heart of the world's oldest wine region, the monks also make their own wine, known as Alaverdi Monastery Cellar.[

This area is for the resident Monks that reside at the Monastery

Inside the Monastery

More living facilities for the Monks in residence.

The grounds are very peaceful. Great tranquility.

Could not resist this photo shot through the side open doors into the valley. It was like a framed photo.

I walked up the road and away from the Monastery to take this photo of the Monastery in its entirety. The open gate you see is the other side of the previous photo from inside.

Nothing like a little bit of hay on a truck bed passing over a bridge.

The national flag of Georgia. I might add the day we visited the Monastery it was so windy I really thought the flags would be ripped from the poles.

View from the parking areas and a small restaurant for tourists visiting across the road from the Monastery complex..

David Gareja is a rock hewn Georgian Orthodox monastery complex located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia, on the half-desert slopes of Mount Gareja, some 42 miles southeast of Georgia's capital Tbilisi.

It was founded in the 6th century by the Christian Father St. David. The Monastery is remarkable for the original frescoes that date from the 8th to the 13th centuries.

The site is considered one of the most important landmarks of Georgia.

After the violent Bolshevik takeover of Georgia in 1921, the monastery was closed down and remained uninhabited. In the years of the Soviet–Afghan War, the monastery's territory was used as a training ground for the Soviet military that inflicted damage to the unique cycle of murals in the monastery

Inside the Monastery. The renaissance of fresco painting chronologically coincides with the general development of the life in the David Gareja monasteries. The high artistic skill of David Gareja frescoes made them an indispensable part of world treasure.

Two young sisters in the gift shop and office of the entrance of the Monastery.

It is fall when we are in Georgia. It is grape picking time for wine.

More grapes on the way to the crushing site.

In Tbilisi our hotel is walking distance just around the corner to the tasting room and bottling plant of the Duruji Valley Winery. For generations, Georgia has taken pride in its distinction as the birthplace of wine. Now, aided by emerging archeological findings and material evidence, many of the world’s most noted experts agree. The recent discovery of 8,000 year-old grape seeds and remains of vines sealed inside ancient clay vessels only reinforces Georgia’s position as the world’s cradle of viticulture.

Duruji Valley Wines feels strongly that when tasting their wine, the consumer should be able to feel, taste, and smell the unique features of the place in which the vines were cultivated, to get acquainted with traditions and history that are connected with the vineyards, and to embrace the traditions and customs of the vineyard's ancestors.

Many years ago the ancient wine cellars were used to store the wine in the ground to age the wine.

Old and the new systems for aging the grapes to make the best wines.

Oak Barrels lie on their side for aging.

Hand placing the labels on each bottle.

Automated filling the bottles with wine and sealing each bottle with a cork..

I was told the average monthly income in Georgia is the equivalent of $410 US .

The Duruji Valley Wine company only produces special and traditional wines that have the right to bear the place of origin's name and identity. Now for the best part of the tour ... sampling the various Reds and whites wines.

Let's see now which one of these was my favorite. I think I need to taste them one more time.

Specialty bottles for sale too.

Georgia is situated where Europe meets Asia. It is surrounded by the Black Sea to the west, Russia to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south, and Azerbaijan to the east. Despite a compact footprint, Georgia spans a broad range of elevation as it climbs from the shores of the Black Sea to the soaring peaks of the Caucasus mountains, Europe’s highest mountain range.

Each city in Georgia has a Modern Glass Building designed for that city. This building is referred to as the "Peoples House" A one stop for everything.

Gremi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Church of the Archangels was constructed at the behest of King Levan of Kakheti in 1565 and frescoed by 1577. It is a cruciform domed church built chiefly of stone

Tsinandali Estate is in a village in Kakheti, Georgia, noted for the estate and its historic winery which once belonged to the 19th-century aristocratic poet Alexander Chavchavadze . It is situated in the district of Telavi, 79 km east of Tbilisi.

After David Chavchavadze’s death, due to the failure to pay the debt to the Russian Public Bank, the estate passed to the property of the Imperial family. The Tsinandali garden was renovated in 1887 and passed to the state in 1917. In 1947, the estate was organized into a museum.

George W Bush highway in Georgia

Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a territory of 26,911 sq mi, and its 2017 population is about 3.718 million. Georgia is a unitary semi-presidential republic, with the government elected through a representative democracy.[

During the classical era, several independent kingdoms became established in what is now Georgia, such as Colchis, later known as Lazica and Iberia. The Georgians adopted Christianity in the early 4th century.

A unified Kingdom of Georgia reached its Golden Age during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar in the 12th and early 13th centuries.

Obviously George W Bush was a popular man in Georgia. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was established with Nikolay Chkheidze acting as its president. The federation consisted of three nations: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

As the Ottomans advanced into the Caucasian territories of the crumbling Russian Empire, Georgia declared independence on 26 May 1918. The Menshevik Social Democratic Party of Georgia won the parliamentary election and its leader, Noe Zhordania, became prime minister.

Old Soviet Bloc buildings in the background

Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million people. Founded in the 5th century AD by Vakhtang I of Iberia, since then Tbilisi served as the capital of various Georgian kingdoms and republics. Between 1801 and 1917, then part of the Russian Empire, Tbilisi was the seat of the Imperial Viceroy, governing both Southern and Northern Caucasus.

Because of its location on the crossroads between Europe and Asia, and its proximity to the lucrative Silk Road, throughout history Tbilisi was a point of contention among various global powers. The city's location to this day ensures its position as an important transit route for various energy and trade projects.

Each city in Georgia has a Modern Glass Building designed for that city. This building is referred to as the "Peoples House" A one stop for everything.

Georgian Parliament Building. Tbilisi is the Capital of Georgia.

Inside the National Museum

Epitaphios, Holy Shroud

Fragment of Altar Screen

Forty Martyrs of Sebaste and the Icon of the Virgin

Beads from the 11th to 9th BC

Gold and Silver items discovered in the territory of Georgia. dating from the 3rd Millennium BC to the 4th Century AD

See next photo

This is a gold amulet of Abraham, Son of Sarah.

Item is next photo

Description in next photo.

View from the hotel room of the city of Tbilisi

Another view from the hotel room

Metekhi Church located high on a hill in Tbilisi

Tbilisi, capital of Georgia from the 4th century was founded by King Vakhtang Gorgassal on the sate of its warm mineral-water springs.

The Old Town is part of the Tbilisi Historic District and contains a number of officially designated monuments, churches, cobbled streets and picturesque pastel colored wooden houses with open, carved balconies. The houses are mainly 19th century as much of the city was destroyed by the devastating Persian invasion of 1795.

Tbilisi developed into the main city of the caucasus. By the 12th centurey Tbilisi was one of the more important political, economic and cultural centries of the Middle East.

Below the roof are the warm mineral water springs.

Tbilisi sttd as a key stop on the famous Silk Road right on the border between europse and Asic.

The Old Town contains the “Abanotubani” district where there is a whole street of public bathhouses that use the sulphurous waters of the many hot springs in this area.

Love Lock Bridge at East Point ”

Like any other city, Tbilisi has its love lock bridge. If you are traveling here with a loved one, leave a lock and make some memories

Historical District homes looking back at the locks on the Love Lock Bridge.

The district was one of the earliest inhabited areas on the city’s territory. According to traditional accounts, King Vakhtang I Gorgasali erected here a church and a fort which served also as a king’s residence; hence comes the name Metekhi which dates back to the 12th century and literally means “the area around the palace”

Sioni or Zion Cathedral in the name of the Assumption of the Mother of God is one of the most known monuments in the Old Town . The beginning of its construction is dated the 5 th – 6 th centuries and the completion - the first half of the 7 th century. The Cathedral is named in the honor of Jerusalem Zion.

Following a medieval Georgian tradition of naming churches after particular places in the Holy Land, the Sioni Cathedral bears the name of Mount Zion near Jerusalem. It is commonly known as the 'Tbilisi Sioni' to distinguish it from several other churches across Georgia bearing the name Sioni.

The Sioni Cathedral was the main Georgian Orthodox Cathedral and the seat of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia until the Holy Trinity Cathedral was consecrated in 2004.. Tbilisi is an ancient city in an ancient country, with immense history, culture, pride and warm generous hospitalit

Tbilisi is an ancient city in an ancient country, with immense history, culture, pride and warm generous hospitality. This is no mere former Soviet satellite republic – they have their own language and their own unique alphabet. Georgian cuisine is distinctive, and rich, and Georgians pride themselves on being the earliest wine producers of Europe, still employing traditional methods which have been driven out of other wine producing countries by commercial pressures.

I liked this sign and it was in English too.

Menu of a local restaurant in the Historical district of Tbilisi

The Bridge of Peace is a bow-shaped pedestrian bridge, a steel and glass construction illuminated with numerous LEDs, over the Kura River in downtown Tbilisi, capital of Georgia.

Often cold as ‘Always Ultra’ by locals, due to its resemblance of a maxi pad, the glass bridge is an excellent example of capital’s modern architectural marvels. From Rike Park, you can connect to pedestrian streets of Erekle II, Shardeni, Bambis, and Rkinis to enjoy a lunch or cup of a beverage.

Peter our Tour Guide and Manana our local Georgian guide crossing the Bridge of Peace

Opened in 2012, a cable car connects Rike Park on the left bank of the Mtkvari river with Narikala Fortress.

Gondola station

Gondola station at the top of the hill

Bridge of Peace at river level

These guys were good too. Wish I had a video camera

Tbilisi Presidential Palace. The palace was built between 2004 and 2009 and was used by outgoing President Mikheil Saakashvili and his administration. The complex will no longer house the presidential administration after Margvelashvili takes office on November 17. The new president will be based in a building under reconstruction in the center of Tbilisi that formerly housed the U.S. Embassy

Bottom of the hill gondola station

On this tour you get a bus ride, walking and a half full glass of wine.

The ride only takes a couple of minutes, which is our only complaint, because with such beautiful views to take in, the trip goes far too fast.

Local tourist

Aerial view ascending to the top

Looks like a model city from the air

The top at last

Modern design Concert Hall in Rike park below the Presidential Palace of Georgia Tbilisi, Georgia. The distinctive funneled form was conceived as ‘a periscope to the city’, framing views of the river. inside, the two volumes house a Music Theater and Exhibition Hall.

Elevated view of the former Presidential Palace

The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi commonly known as Sameba is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church located in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Constructed between 1995 and 2004, it is the third-tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world and one of the largest religious buildings in the world by total area. Sameba is a synthesis of traditional styles dominating the Georgian church architecture at various stages in history and has some Byzantine undertones.

Tbilisi House of Justice Government Building. Viewed from above the building resembles the mushrooms growing on the stubs. It has 11 curved “mushroom caps” 35 m high. The total floor area of the construction is 28 thousand m2. The building is divided into 7 parts accommodating different offices. The concept of the house is to unify several government departments under the same roof for effective and accessible provision of services to the citizens. They say that any service can be rendered here for 15 minutes.

Modern buildings across the skyline.

The Freedom Monument, commonly known as the St. George Statue in center of photo.

Kartlis Deda, Mother of a Georgian, is a monument in Georgia's capital The statue erected in 1958. the year Tbilisi celebrated its 1500th anniversary. She symbolizes the Georgian national character. in her left hand she holds a bowl of wine to greet those who come as friends.

Greek Orthodox Monk meditating

Skyline of Tbilisi

Soviet era apartment building

Looking down on the Bridge of Peace

Left to right myself, Carol Anne, Bill, and our guide for the trip Peter

New Presidential Palace

Lift at the top of the hill we had just left.

Unique display on the ceiling of a restaurant we were dining in

Table set up on the ceiling

Exterior of the restaurant we had a typical 'Georgian lunch. Excellent

The Freedom Monument, commonly known as the St. George Statue, is a memorial located in Tbilisi, Georgia, dedicated to the freedom and independence of the Georgian nation. Unveiled in 2006 in Tbilisi's central square, the monument of granite and gold is 105 feeet high and is easily spotted from any point of the city

Demonstration in front of a Government building

Participants of the demonstration

Walking on one of the main streets in Tbilisi

The Georgian National Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi. The opera house is one of the centers of cultural life in Tbilisi.

Bank of Georgia Headquarters built in 1975. .The structure consists of interlocking concrete forms. Two-storey horizontal parts are placed on top of each other in the form of a grid. This 18-story building cannot be left out of sight and has never been.

Jvari Monastery is a sixth century Georgian Orthodox monastery near Mtskheta, eastern Georgia. Along with other historic structures of Mtskheta,

He was in the parking lot of the Monaastery

Jvari Monastery stands on the rocky mountaintop at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, overlooking the town of Mtskheta, which was formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Iberia.

Interesting the way these buildings were constructed. It looks like grass on the roofs.

The present building is generally held to have been built between 590 and 605. The importance of Jvari complex increased over time and attracted many pilgrims. In the late Middle Ages. I think they all arrived the same time we arrived.

Over the main entrance

Young boy lights a candle

Interesting interior

View looking down at th twin rivers and the town

Locals selling pomegranates

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral located in the historic town of Mtskheta, Georgia, to the northwest of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. A masterpiece of the Early Middle Ages, Svetitskhoveli is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is currently the second largest church building in Georgia, after the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

The architecture of the present Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, which dates from around 1020, is based on the cross-dome style of church architecture, which emerged in Georgia in the early Middle Ages.

The walls are decorated with many Christian Orthodox icons, most of which are not original (the originals being in the national museums of Georgia

Svetitskhoveli was not only the site of the coronation of the Georgian kings but also served as their burial place. Ten are known to have been buried here, although only six tombs have been found, all before the altar.

The large figure of Jesus at the altar was painted by Russian artist in the 19th century. The majority of the icons here date to the 20th century. Some are copies of older icons and frescoes from other churches throughout Georgia.

View of the gardens

We are very close to the Russian border. There are many tourists from Russia.

This morning we traveled along the Georgian Military Highway, a historical road leading north from Tbilisi into Russia. You are never quite sure what you will run into along this highway.

Sheep herders bringing the sheep down from the mountains after a summer of grazing. walking on the highway.

Ananuri Fortress is located 40 miles away from Tbilisi, near the town of Ananuri. The exact date of its construction is unknown.

The main historical monument of Ananuri is the Assumption Church built in 1869. The outer walls of the temple are richly decorated with ornaments.

This is one of the rarest temples of that time, decorated with a vine and ornaments in the form of a cross.

The inner walls are decorated with frescoes that are partly preserved.

Local children on a field trip to Ananuri Fortress from Tbilsi

One of the main attractions on the territory of Ananuri Fortress is the Jinvali water reservoir. In summer it is allowed to swim there and sunbathe on the beach.

We were treated to the sight of a Bride and Groom who had just been married in the Assumption Church at the Fortress.

They were also gazing at the new Bride and Groom

Check out those eyes looking at you

Souvenirs available for sale

Have your photo taken in 17th Century costumes.

View of the Ananuri Fortress and the Assumption Church

This is what you call a load going down the highway.

Don't think we could get away with this on our highways.

We continued on the Georgian Military Highway and then climbing the sides of the dramatic Aragvi River Valley,

Time of year is Fall and the colors are magnificant

We stopped for a rest for a few minutes at the crest of the Jvari Pass, 7,857 feet. We were treated the mother nature at its best.

Sheep grazing still on the hillsides across the valley.

Most everyone had gone back to the bus when all of a sudden I was treated to tandem Para gliders catching the up drafts of the mountain right in front of me literally at an observation point. .

There were so close I was able to yell at them.

2 separate paragliders in the same photo

It was awesome watching them dive and turn into the wind and out of it floating on the up drafts of the air currents.

This was a mural at the look out point

Para gliders to the left and the right in the photo.

Just when you think the day cannot get any better a second Bride and Groom of the day walks past me going to the look out point. .

Interesting photo of the Bride with her phone in hand when she is surrounded with the beauty of mother nature all around. Where was the groom?

This is the take off point for the para gliders. Trust me it was cold and windy.

Our first glimpse of Mount Kazbek 16,558 feet elevation at its peak while driving..

Valley entering the village of Kazbegi.

The hotel we are staying at, Rooms Hotel Kazbegi, in Kazbegi, officially known as Stepantsminda, at 5,577 feet altitude, in a valley.

A glass of wine, view of the beautiful landscape and ever changing clouds and sky...what a great way to enjoy the late afternoon into the evening.

Surrounded by gigantic mountains the town of Kazbegi is a picturesque settlement . The town and surrounding rugged area provide some of the most picturesque scenes in Georgia.

A telephoto look at Gergeti Trinity Church across the valley on the mountainside.

Reflections in the glass of the hotel...

Continuing reflections in the windows of the hotel. Guests were sitting in front of them and until I mentioned the reflections no one seemd to be paying any attention.

The next morning early this was the photo of the day from the hotel looking at Mt. Kazbek.

Looking in another direction beauty surrounds everywhere.

View of Gergeti Trinity Church from the road up the hill.

Looking down from Gergeti Trinity Church into valley and the village of Kazbegi.

The large building in the distance via telephoto is our hotel Rooms Hotel Kazbegi.

Myself and a friend I met on the trip Borus originally from Siberia enjoying the view at the Gergeti Church and Mt. Kazbek in the distance.

Myself and another friend I met on the trip Harry enjoying the view from the top of the vista.

Unfortunately there was a service happening when we were at the summit of the church and could not enter inside. We enjoyed the view from outside of the surrounding areas.

Half way up the mountain just a few cars showed up on Sunday morning.

Georgian driver and myself.

In the village Kazbegi

Back on the Georgian Military highway we run into cattle on the highway. Easiest way to move them is on the highway.

Arrived in the town of Gori and the birthplace of Stalin. This is the Stalin Museum

The railway carriage that Stalin used to travel to the Yalta Conference and the Tehran Conference at the end of World War II is located on one side of the museum

Stalin was Born in Gori in 1878, so there always had to be a shrine to the great leader in Gori after his death. A local history museum begun in 1951 intended to become a Stalin Memorial after his death. Stalin died in 1953, the Museum was dedicated to him in 1957.

His statue was only removed from the Central Town Square (still named after him) in June 2010 and his museum is still in full operation today. The Stalin museum managed to survive De-Stalinization in 1961 when his body was removed from the Mausoleum and cities and streets named after him were renamed. Soviet authorities probably did not want to offend the Georgians who were still proud of their most famous compatriot and Gori was also far away from Moscow.

The museum was closed in 1989 but was re-opened in recent years as local authorities understood that the museum is a potent tourist attraction. There have been plans to transform the Stalin Museum into the “Museum of Russian Aggression” since 2008, this has not happen yet since this will impact tourist revenues in a time of great economic depression. Let’s hope that the Georgian government understands the historic significance and uniqueness of the Museum and leave it in its current state!

The first exhibition hall is dedicated to Stalin’s early life, with photographs, paintings and newspaper articles about his youth, career as a bank robber and early revolutionary exploits. The second exhibition hall documents Stalin’s rise to power in the Communist Party leading to his position as the most powerful man in the Soviet Union. The theme of the third hall is Stalin’s role as Commander in Chief of the Red Army during the Second World War.

Stalin's early life

A small entrance leads to the next room where Stalin’s death mask is displayed in the center of a circle surrounded by pillars. The room is kept dark and painted black with dark red carpet, creating an atmosphere that is similar to the Lenin Mausoleum.

Our guide in the Stalin Museum.

The house where Stalin was born in 1878 and lived for four years is located in front of the museum covered by a pavilion

Rooms inside the house

Basically a one room house

Stalin Square Old Soviet bloc building. The statue of Stalin present in the square was removed in June 2010. But the city of Gori has a love-hate relationship with the former dictator, who died in Moscow in 1953. Crowds of university students protested the statue's presence in Gori. But elderly demonstrators counter protested in support of Stalin.

Uplistsikhe "the lord's fortress" is an ancient rock-hewn town in eastern Georgia, some 6 miles east of the town of Gori. Built on a high rocky left bank of the Mtkvari River, it contains various structures dating from the Early Iron Age to the Late Middle Ages, and is notable for the unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures from Anatolia and Iran, as well as the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture.

Idol of Goddess made of clay was located here..

The Lord's Fortress or Citadel dates back to the 7th century BC , and had served as a strategic point on the ancient Silk Road from ancient times until the 15th century AD.

owever, Uplistsikhe reemerged as a principal Georgian stronghold during the Muslim conquest of Tbilisi in the 8th and 9th century. The Mongol raids in the 14th century marked the ultimate eclipse of the town; it was virtually abandoned, and only occasionally used as a temporary shelter in times of foreign intrusions.

At the summit of the complex is a Christian basilica built of stone and brick in the 9th-10th centuries.

The majority of the caves are devoid of any decorations, although some of the larger structures have coffered tunnel-vaulted ceilings, with the stone carved in imitation of logs. Some of the larger structures also have niches in the back or sides, which may have been used for ceremonial purposes.

Archaeological excavations have discovered numerous artifacts of different periods, including gold, silver and bronze jewellery, and samples of ceramics and sculptures. Many of these artifacts are in the safekeeping of the National Museum in Tbilisi.

The Uplistsikhe complex can tentatively be divided into three parts: south (lower), middle (central) and north (upper) covering an area of approximately 8 hectares. The middle part is the largest, contains a bulk of the Uplistsikhe rock-cut structures, and is connected to the southern part via a narrow rock-cut pass and a tunnel. Narrow alleys and sometimes staircases radiate from the central "street" to the different structures.

Large central hall for pagan rituals

Inside the Christian Basilica

Arrive in the city of Akhaltsikhe. This building would be one of the Peoples building like we have seen in other Georgian Towns.

It is a small city with a population of about 50,000 and the capital of Samtskhe-Javakheti.

The city has been around for at least 800 years . It was the regional administrative center for the Ottomans from the 6th century to the Russo-Turkish war.

For hundreds of years the city was majority Armenian. Now it is Georgian.

Definitely a store children love to visit. Look at all the bicycles, and tri cycles for the little ones too.

In the old part of the city one can see the great Rabati Castle, built by the Ottomans around a mosque, and St. Marine's Church

Rabati Castle by daylight

Rabati Castle up close

Ruins of an old house with a grass roof for warmth in the cold winters

Ruins of a bygone era castle near the highway. Probably part of the old Silk Road

A local selling her homemade products to anyone stopping to try a sample.

Yelana with home made local bread. . Check that bread for rising

Borus shopped at the same location. What a deal, What great bread.

Electrical power coming from Russia through Georgia, at a nice profit to them to Turkey.

Next we stop at Vardzia, The cave city of of Vardzia is a monastery complex dug into the side of the Erusheli Mountain in southern Georgia near Aspindza.

This cave city is 13 story cave town built between 1186-9 by Georgia's famous Queen Tamara,

The Vardzia monastery alone consisted of over 600 apartments in a thirteen story complex. The city included a church, a throne room, and a complex irrigation system watering terraced farmlands. A complex irrigation system watering terraced farmlands was also constructed and in some tunnels the old irrigation pipes still bring drinkable water.

This underground monastery was built in the 12th Century, under the reign of King Tamar, the first woman that was ever crowned as a king (not a queen!) in Georgian history.

Looking out from the caves into the valley below.

In the late 1100's the medieval kingdom of Georgia was constantly under threat of the Mongol Empire. To help her people avoid the Mongol onslaught, Tamar ordered the construction of an underground sanctuary and secretly they started building this fortress under the Erusheli mountain. t was a gigantic job but the people worked hard with the determination that their culture and lifestyle should not be destroyed by the invading Mongols.

This underground fortress eventually had 13 levels constructed with natural caves and contained over 6000 rooms, including a throne room, a reception chamber, a meeting room, a bakery, a forge, chapels and a huge church.

The only way to get to this underground city was through a secret tunnel which started at the nearby Mtkvari River.

One of the many rooms to store wine in the floor.

Inside the church

Outside the chapel bells to ring in the wind

Incredible to think a 1,000 years ago this was all carved and dug by hand

These stairs were more than steep.. they were killer steps. Notice how uneven wide and narrow the steps are.

Last look from a distance

As we are driving to the frontier of Georgia and Armenia we pass through the town of Ninotsminda.

Ninotsminda is a town and a center of the municipality located in Georgia's southern district of Samtskhe-Javakheti. According to the census the town has a population of 5,144. The vast majority of the population are Armenians.

Looks like the local shoe store... outside

As we passed through town something big was happening at the City Municipality with television cameras, police and lots of men.

I think someone copied a similar sign on the outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada..USA.

I like the way their downspouts on the buildings reach across the sidewalks into the street.

I kind of think it might be a funeral. Everyone is dressed in Black.

The frontier or border is only about 8 miles.

Many of the older buildings have sod roofs in this area.

Young guys hanging out. Jobs are scarce for the youth in smaller towns.

Storks build nests on the top of telephone poles.

More sod roofs

Everyday is wash day when you have a large family.

Local Police station in the middle of no where

Rural farming village

Hives for bees and honey

Visiting Georgia was a very pleasant and enjoyable experience. The Georgian people are very friendly. There is a lot to see and visit in Georgia. .

The last 5 miles of road from Georgia to Armenia was dodging pot holes and unpaved road. Very Surprising. This is the border building leaving Georgia.

Russian trucks lined up leaving Georgia entering Armenia.

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© 2025 Jim Schroder