Vardzia

Vardzia is site of the most famous cave city in Georgia which because of its connections with Queen Tamar, is a place of almost mystic importance for Georgians. Established in the 12th century by King George III as a stronghold against the Turkish Sultanate, his daughter Tamar made the cave-city into a monastery, which became the main seminary of Georgia, housing some2000 monks and centre of Georgian culture.

Out of a total of 3000 caves, 550 dwellings have so far been discovered and the depth of the caves ranges from 45 to 60 metres on 19 levels. Varzdia represents the apex of cave architecture, which began in the 6th century BC at Uplistsikhe and continued at David Gareja in the 7th to the 9th centuries AD. Of particular interest in Varzdia area the church of Ananauri, the bell tower and the Cathedral of the Assumtion with the famous fresco of Queen Tamar and her father. Other frescoes in the cathedral mark the high point of the Georgian school.