Vardzia
Georgia · Samtskhe-Javakheti · 1300 m
Description
Vardzia (ვარძია) is a monastery city dug into a cliff face above the upper Mtkvari in the eleven hundreds under Queen Tamar, thirteen levels of chambers reaching half a kilometre along the rock and once holding six thousand people entirely out of sight. An earthquake in 1283 sheared away the outer wall and opened the whole complex to the air, which is why it now reads as a honeycomb rather than a hidden fortress. The frescoed church halfway up survived and holds one of the few contemporary portraits of Tamar.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Vardzia cave monastery city
- Church of the Dormition and its Queen Tamar fresco
- Upper Mtkvari gorge and its cliff road
- Tunnels and stairways through the rock levels
- Khertvisi fortress at the river junction
- Tmogvi fortress ruins on the gorge rim
- Vanis Kvabebi cave complex
- Sulphur baths at Vardzia
- Rabati Castle in Akhaltsikhe(Day trip)