Vardzia is a cave city complex and monastery in the municipality of Aspindza, in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region in southern Georgia, in the Lesser Caucasus.
The location of Vardzia in the southwest of the country turned the fortress into an outpost that protected the country from attacks by the Turks and Iranians.The caves stretch along the cliff for around five hundred meters and up to nineteen levels. The site had more than 3,000 caves that could hold 5,000 people at a time, linked together by a complex system of tunnels. Originally, this fortified complex had 360 rooms, one for each day of the year.
The cultural monument was registered by Georgia for the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 and is one of the major attractions of the country.
Access : Coordinates: 41.380917, 43.283761 /
Highlights :
- The church of the Dormition of Mary was the spiritual center and monumental focal point of the site. It was similarly carved into rock and its walls were reinforced with stones, measuring 82 meters (269 ft) in length, 145 meters (476 ft) in width and 92 meters (302 ft) in height.
Go next : Uplistsikhe , a fortress city is located on the left bank of the Kura River / Khertvisi Fortress / Tmogvi Fortress
