For most people, the story is justschool textbook, a book with text telling something about the past. And yet there are many places in the world that have retained a piece of old bygone ones. You can learn about one of them by reading this article.
The story in this place is material, since it hasThere is both color and shape. This is Uplistsikhe, Georgia. How to get to this amazing place to see everything with your own eyes and feel the atmosphere of past times? You can learn about this historical city, about everything that concerns these places, and many other things, 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 him on the Mtkvari shore, and from there they crossed the river and created a completely new settlement.
Uplistsikhe (Georgia) - 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 original is Uplistsikhe (Georgia). How to get to it? First of all, we find out what it is.
Cave city carved 3000 years ago in the rocksthe volcanic origin of the Kernaki range. The local sandstone turned out to be not only a good, pliable construction material, it also became the cause of the destruction of the most unique city.
The peculiarity of this monument is that itthanks to such an unusual device, it preserved the remains of buildings (religious and other architectural), built over several millennia. During its prosperity, the city consisted of about 700 caves. To date, only 150 have survived. Magnificent and interesting Uplistsikhe. Georgia in his face has a unique architectural and historical work created by man and nature.
origin of name
The name "Uplistsikhe" this settlement receivedback in ancient times. The preserved references of medieval Georgian historians link the founding 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 literature, the scientific name Uplistsikhe is associated with Uplos.
However, there is another version.This interpretation is made on the basis of modern Georgian language. According to it, “Uplos” is associated with the nominal word “lord”. It turns out that Uplistsikhe from Georgian means "the lord's fortress".
How did they live in the city?
Uplistsikhe (Georgia) existed at the expense of varioustalents, offerings and sacrifices of a religious plane. The main square of the city was occupied by religious buildings, and living quarters here were not given much importance. Winemaking was developed quite widely, but not in a practical sense, but in a cult one. Apparently, the wine produced here had sacred properties.
In those days (the Hellenistic period) the cityUplistsikhe was surrounded by magnificent forests, and grapes were brought from far away. He was raised on the main pressure room located on the southwestern slope. The northern part of the city was occupied by a large wine storage (“Big Marani”). Some more smaller similar structures adjoined the largest religious buildings located in the central part of Uplistsikhe.
Georgia honors its history. In the writings of the great Georgian historians of the middle ages, references 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 or metal processing were found in this city. In all likelihood, both these materials and agricultural products also came from outside as gifts.
Approximately lived in the mysterious city Uplistsikhe (Georgia).
How to get from Tbilisi, from Gori?
You can reach the cave city in different ways. If the train, you need to get to the station Uplistsikhe.
From the capital of Georgia to these historical places to arrive from the bus station by bus to Gori, and then by train to get to the station Kvahvreli. Further to the final point will have to go on foot.
By car from Tbilisi all the way takes about an hour.
As mentioned earlier, at the Kura River, just 10 kilometers east of the city of Gori, is Uplistsikhe (Georgia).
How to get from Gori?From this settlement you can go on foot, 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, since cars do not often drive on these roads.
Modern Uplistsikhe
Since the 50s of the 20th century, Uplistsikhe has been a tourist center. An increasing number of antiquities was becoming available for tourists every year.
There is one touching moment:The danger of damage to many buildings associated with sandstone erosion has increased, and therefore there is a need for the restoration of the Uplistsikhe caves. Georgia was not able to allocate funds in sufficient quantities for its reconstruction, and to top it all off, a new small earthquake of 2000 severely damaged a certain part of the historical monument.
According to experts, serious damagemay occur over the next 30 years. It is necessary to take urgent measures to preserve the cracks formed, since this unique monument is located in a seismically active area.
The city-museum in 2010 was landscaped forconvenience of visiting tourists: at the entrance there is a reception area where tickets are purchased and necessary information is provided. There is also a camping area near Uplistsikhe, where you can camp with tents for relaxing in the magnificent natural landscapes.
It is interesting
There are some interesting historical moments associated with this unique monument:
• 20 years after the start of archaeologicalexcavations, in 1977, were found valuable antique household items and weapons. Today they are in the largest museums of Georgia. Since then, a thorough excavation of the area and subsequent restoration work began here. In the 1950s, the town of Uplistsikhe received the status of a tourist center.
• In 337, Uplistsikhe became a major stronghold of paganism. Georgia at that time had 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 (there are such mentions in the Georgian chronicles).
• The city fell into decline several times 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, in connection with which there is a risk that it may collapse at any moment.
The cave city of Uplistsikhe - one of the mainmonuments of the ancient culture of Georgia. Its unique uniqueness lies in the numerous remains of religious and other architectural structures that convey the distinctive atmosphere of the past centuries.
