Uplistsikhe Georgia: Exploring an Ancient Cave City

Uplistsikhe, literally translated as the ‘Lord’s Fortress’, is one of Georgia’s most extraordinary historical sites. This ancient cave city, carved into the sandstone cliffs overlooking the Mtkvari River, sits just outside Gori, around 90 minutes’ drive from Tbilisi.

The drive is wonderfully peaceful. I admire the mountain scenery and take the opportunity to pick Sergo’s tour-guide brain about the best places to visit and things to see. There is quite a list of recommendations! He rattles off names of towns, mountains and historic sites faster than I can work out how to spell them. Every so often, he enthusiastically hands me his phone to show photographs of one spectacular landscape or another. Clearly, there is considerably more to Georgia than I have managed to squeeze into this trip.

In between discussions of the best places to add to my ‘next time’ list, I excitedly spot snow on the distant mountain ranges. This region of Shida Kartli, with its views towards the beginnings of the snow-capped Caucasus, reminds me of home. So too does the Kakheti Region, with its vineyards and rolling greenery. I make a mental note to bring my mum here one day.

Set In Stone

As the caves come into view in the distance, I ask Sergo to stop. I jump out onto a bridge spanning a rocky riverbed and take a few photographs before continuing to the entrance.

We arrive and begin walking up the rocky hillside. Gradually, the extraordinary scale of the ancient settlement unfolds around us. There are rooms, passages and entire structures carved directly into the sandstone. Steps cut into the steeper sections help us navigate the uneven terrain. I find myself marvelling at the sheer manpower involved in creating an entire city from solid rock.

The landscape is almost otherworldly. Rather than a conventional archaeological site, Uplistsikhe feels like a settlement that has been partially swallowed by the mountainside. Doorways open into dark chambers, carved columns emerge from the rock and terraces overlook the river valley below.

Signs point towards the Inner City, Main Tower and Grand Gate. I follow the route through the various chambers, including the Hall with Caissons and the Round-Barrelled Hall. The names alone are intriguing.

This place is incredible. I try to imagine what life must have looked like here. I mentally furnish the rooms, position cooking stations and picture people going about their daily business. Where did they sleep? Where did they prepare their food? How did they keep warm during the winter? The more I explore, the more questions I have.

Urban Settlement

Uplistsikhe is one of the oldest urban settlements in the Caucasus. Its origins date back to the late Bronze Age, with evidence of occupation stretching into the second millennium BC. The earliest development of the cave settlement is generally associated with the first millennium BC, while its importance grew considerably during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

This was no insignificant collection of caves. At its height, Uplistsikhe was a major political, religious and cultural centre in the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli. Its position overlooking the Mtkvari River was particularly strategic. The river valley formed an important corridor connecting the Black Sea region with the lands to the east, making the settlement well placed for trade, travel and defence.

The site reminds me a little of Qal’at al Bahrain, another fascinating example of an ancient urban civilisation whose archaeological remains reveal so much about how people once lived.

There is something particularly impressive about standing inside a structure that was already ancient when the Parthenon was built in Athens. And unlike many historical monuments, Uplistsikhe isn’t simply a building that has survived the centuries. It is an entire city, with its streets, communal spaces, places of worship and domestic quarters still recognisable in the rock.

Shadows in Time

Uplistsikhe was originally an important centre of pre-Christian pagan worship. Many of the larger chambers served religious or ceremonial purposes, and the settlement contained temples, ritual spaces and areas associated with animal sacrifice.

One of the most impressive buildings is Tamaris Darbazi, traditionally known as the Hall of Queen Tamar. The name is associated with Georgia’s celebrated medieval queen, although the hall itself is considerably older. Queen Tamar ruled during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, a period often regarded as Georgia’s Golden Age. There is no firm evidence that she actually lived here.

The hall is magnificent. Two columns carved from the living rock support a ceiling decorated to resemble wooden beams. The intricate coffered design is particularly impressive when you consider that everything was painstakingly shaped from the surrounding sandstone.

I stand inside and imagine the room filled with people, perhaps gathering for ceremonies or important occasions. There is an opening in the ceiling, which would have allowed smoke to escape while also bringing natural light into the chamber. I can almost imagine the fires burning.

Elsewhere, there are ritual pits and chambers traditionally associated with pagan sacrifices. The large three-walled temple is another reminder of the site’s religious importance before Christianity arrived in Georgia.

A Shift in Rituals

Christianity became the official religion of the Georgian kingdom of Kartli in the early fourth century. As the religious landscape changed, so too did Uplistsikhe. Older pagan structures were adapted, and Christian places of worship appeared alongside the earlier buildings.

A three-naved basilica was eventually constructed on the upper part of the settlement, marking this transition particularly clearly. The combination of ancient pagan architecture and later Christian structures makes Uplistsikhe a fascinating record of Georgia’s changing religious history.

Wine Through The Ages

There are also more practical buildings marked on the site map. A bakery, an apotheke (pharmacy), a prison and, something all good towns should have, a wine cellar.

The wine-making facilities are particularly interesting. Georgia has one of the world’s oldest wine-making traditions, with archaeological evidence of wine production dating back approximately 8,000 years. The traditional Georgian method involves fermenting and storing wine in large clay vessels called qvevri, often buried underground. It is fascinating to think that wine was already an integral part of Georgian life when this ancient settlement was thriving.

I am intrigued by the Hall with Caissons. The name seems to refer to the decorative, recessed panels carved into the ceiling rather than some sort of underground water-storage system, although I initially wonder whether it has something to do with the large holes in the ground.

The Round-Barrelled Hall is a little easier to interpret. Its ceiling features rounded, pipe-like forms carved into the stone, creating an unusual architectural effect. Nothing quite prepares me for the ingenuity of the builders.

I wish I had the audio guide, which seems to be referenced by the numbered markers around the site. There is so much to discover here, and I suspect a little more explanation would make the experience even richer.

Just over the other side of the mountain is the old, abandoned village of Uplistsikhe. The newer settlement is now located across the river. I dare not ask quite how ‘new’ the new village actually is!

The Way Out

Many of the cave rooms connect through doorways and deeper tunnel-like passages. The settlement was designed as a functioning community, rather than simply a collection of isolated chambers.

One of the most fascinating features is the long tunnel cut through the mountainside, which leads down towards the Mtkvari River. Historically, this provided a discreet route to the water and an important escape passage in times of danger.

Today, visitors use it as an alternative exit from the site. Steps have been installed to make the descent manageable, although I imagine the original passage would have been considerably more challenging. Sergo remembers the tunnel from before the steps were built and tells me it was a rather different experience back then.

The passage is dark and steep, and I am quite pleased to have the modern steps beneath my feet. When we finally emerge at the riverbank, I almost feel as though I have been spat out of the mountainside. The tour is suddenly over.

As we walk back towards the car, I realise just how worthwhile the early 9am pick-up has been. Two or three busloads of tourists have now arrived, and a queue has formed at the ticket office. An hour earlier, we had the place almost to ourselves.

Chituahvilis, A Family Affair

With time on our side, we decide to make a stop at Gori Fortress on the way back to Tbilisi.

There is a slight detour first, however, as Sergo takes me to a family-run vineyard and wine cellar to say hello and show me around. I wish I could stay for lunch. The previous day, a group of 30 had enjoyed a home-cooked meal here, lingering over the award-winning wine produced on the property.

This is exactly the sort of experience I love about travelling with a local guide. Beyond the headline attractions, there are the personal introductions and little discoveries that you would almost certainly miss travelling independently.

Sergo proudly points out that his cousin made all the wooden furniture, shelving and panelling. It is beautifully crafted, and the timber gives off a lovely, subtle fragrance. Combined with the earthy aromas of the wine cellar, the whole place has a wonderfully welcoming feel.

There is work underway to extend the cellar and storage facilities, and I am taken around the back of the house to see the grapevines.

We leave with freshly picked raspberries, which taste just like Mum’s, and the most delicious sun-warmed cherries I have ever eaten. There is something about fruit eaten straight from the vine that makes it taste even better.

I make a mental note of the name for next time. This is definitely somewhere I would like to return, preferably with enough time to enjoy that long lunch.

Gori Fortress

Back to tourist business, and we arrive at Gori Fortress, perched on a rocky hill overlooking the city.

The fortress has a long and turbulent history. Its strategic position made it an important defensive stronghold in Shida Kartli, and control of the hill meant control of the surrounding region. The site has been fortified for centuries, with the existing medieval citadel taking shape from around the thirteenth century.

Over the years, Georgian rulers, Mongols, Persians and Ottomans all fought for control of this strategically important territory. The fortress was repeatedly damaged and rebuilt, reflecting the turbulent history of the region.

Its present form largely dates from the eighteenth century, when King Erekle II ordered its reconstruction in 1774–1775.

Unlike some of the other historical sites I have visited, Gori Fortress has not been extensively restored. Instead, the crumbling remains of its defensive walls reveal the various layers of construction. The rough stonework and imposing walls speak volumes about its former military importance.

I climb over some of the ruins and peer out from the top. The views across Gori and the surrounding countryside are lovely, although I am careful where I put my feet. There is something rather appealing about exploring a fortress that has been left largely to tell its own story.

Phichini, a Georgian Delight

After a little walk around, we’re done and, in any case, it’s time to go. There isn’t enough time to stop for a proper lunch, so Sergo introduces me to phichini, a Georgian takeaway delight.

It is a little like a thin, bread-encrusted meat pie, although the filling is quite different from the Australian version. The meat is drier and fragrantly spiced, rather than being surrounded by the thick, gravy-soaked filling I am accustomed to.

It is certainly filling, and washed down with cold water from the fountain across the street, it hits the spot.

Dessert is a crispy pastry delight, deliciously sweet but perhaps a little too heavy after the phichini. I manage a few bites before deciding the rest is better saved for later.

Another local food experience ticked off the list!

Stalin’s Birthplace

There is time for one final, very quick stop before heading back to Tbilisi: Stalin’s birthplace.

Gori is perhaps best known internationally as the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator who ruled the Soviet Union from the late 1920s until his death in 1953. He was born here in 1878, in a modest two-storey brick house where his family occupied a small ground-floor dwelling.

The little house is now preserved beneath a protective canopy, surrounded by the much larger Stalin Museum complex. It is quite a contrast between the humble home and the enormous political legacy of the man born within it.

I manage a few photographs of the house where Stalin spent his earliest years, although there isn’t time to explore the museum itself. That will have to wait for another visit.

As the airport is on the far side of Tbilisi, we need to allow a couple of hours for the drive back, plus a little extra time for traffic.

I bid Sergo a final madloba at the airport, grateful that we built in a generous buffer. Traffic through the city is busy, and leaving it any later could have been a gamble. Sergo certainly knows his way around and seems to have a good instinct for the city’s ebbs and flows.

As it turns out, I have enough time after checking in to catch up on a little work before my flight.

I do manage to squeeze in one last new experience before boarding: a little taste of chacha, Georgia’s potent grape-based spirit. Drinking any more than a taste, I decide, is probably best saved for a more suitable occasion than the airport!

And so I fly out of Georgia with some incredible memories. I have seen ancient cave cities, beautiful mountain scenery, medieval fortresses and vineyards, and experienced some wonderful Georgian hospitality.

I am almost looking forward to a day at work tomorrow, if only to have a chance to rest.

Almost.

Good to Know

Uplistsikhe makes an excellent day trip from Tbilisi, particularly when combined with Gori Fortress and a visit to the Stalin Museum.

Allow around 90 minutes to two hours to explore the cave city properly. The terrain is uneven, with steep steps, exposed rock and some narrow passages. Comfortable walking shoes are essential, particularly if you intend to use the tunnel exit.

There is relatively little shade on the site, so take water and sun protection, especially during the warmer months. An audio guide or knowledgeable local guide is worthwhile, as the historical interpretation can otherwise be a little limited.

Sergo will tailor your day trip to suit your interests. After two incredible tours to the Kakheti Region and Mtskheta, I knew Uplistsikhe was a must-see for me.

Do check opening times ahead of your visit. It is also worth allowing extra time for traffic and other delays, particularly if you have a flight to catch from Tbilisi.

Contact Sergo Tabatadze for more details. Please mention that you have been referred by Dukes Global Adventures.

Would I Return?

Yes. There is still plenty more to explore around Gori, not least the Stalin Museum, which I simply ran out of time to visit.

Georgia has an extraordinary amount of history, scenery and culture packed into a relatively small country. Every excursion seems to reveal another reason to return.

Top of my list for next time is Martvili Canyon, with its turquoise water, dramatic limestone scenery and waterfalls. Another reason to start planning a return trip!