The city carved in the rock: Uplistsikhe. 10 km from Gori is one of the most ancient monuments of Georgia - Uplistsikhe. Its history goes back about 3 thousand years.
Uplistsikhe is located 10 km from Gori, it is quite easy to get to it - Uplistsikhe, a popular tourist attraction in Georgia. Pagans founded the city, later defeated by the zealots of the new faith. Uplistsikhe was inhabited
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Going to the country of fantastic mountains, gentle sea and fragrant wine, any tourist wonders what to see in Georgia. We invite you to pay close attention to the most beautiful places in Georgia, which include Uplistsikhe – an open-air museum city.
Uplistsikhe is an amazing cave city in its grandeur, a historical and architectural museum-reserve in Georgia. Location: the edge of Shida Kartli, Gori district, about 10 kilometers east of the city of Gori. For the convenience of tourists, there is a direct dirt road that will take you from Gori to Uplistsikhe, but it is much easier to get by major roads, through the southern bank of the Mtkvari River. The city is widely known among tourists, and it is visited by quite a large number of people. It is important to note that the city is a paid tourist destination. Since 2010, guests have been greeted by a comfortable reception at the entrance to the city, there is something like a camping with a crystal clear spring, tables and places for tents nearby.
Uplistsikhe has a history of almost 3,000 years. Presumably, the city was formed around 1000 BC, and came to the final desolation in the 19th century. The first mention of the city in written sources dates back to about the 7th century. Among the numerous attractions of the country, this museum-reserve occupies a special place, and at the moment, as a particularly important object, is protected by UNESCO.
The cave city Uplistsikhe, carved in sandstone, appeared in the late II — early I century BC! There were temples, shops, a court, prisons (although other scientists write that these are ritual pits), wells, a system of drains, even a pharmacy with a kind of font and shelves on which the molecules of medicinal herbs were preserved. A kind of ancient spa. Some halls are decorated with stone carvings and caissons. There is also a wine storage "Marani". Uplistsikhe has preserved 150 rooms out of 700, and all of them can be viewed and touched now. According to legend, Queen Tamara stayed here, but this is not accurate.
According to an ancient legend, this amazing city was built by slaves. They were given incisors that were made half of ordinary iron and half of precious metal. If a slave worked hard until the iron part of the chisel was erased, then as a reward he received a part of the chisel made of precious metal, and the coveted freedom.
Where does the name "Uplistsikhe" come from?
There are 2 versions of the origin of the name:
1) According to legend, one of the distant descendants of the biblical character Noah was a man named Uplos. According to this legend, it is believed that this city in the rocks (Uplosa Fortress) was named after this man.
2) The second version is also quite interesting. Fallen in translation from the Georgian language means God. That's how the name Uplistsikhe – God's Fortress - came about.
The second version of the origin of the name can be explained, among other things, by the fact that this settlement has always been a spiritual, to be more precise, pagan center. In addition to residential caves, pagan temples and a place where idols of pagan gods were installed, recesses for religious rites and offerings were found in the city. Residents of Uplistsikhe refused to recognize Christianity. For a long time they worshipped their pagan deities, even after they stopped strenuously resisting Christianity, which had won the victory.
The inhabitants of the city categorically did not want to change their faith and gods to Christianity and its god and saints. They were extremely opposed to Christianity as a new religion. Later, specifically in this city, Queen Tamara was crowned and crowned.
From about the 4th century, civilization began its offensive on the settlement. The sights of Uplistsikhe are not only residential caves, but also socially significant objects, namely: the Hellenistic theater, pharmacy and the great throne hall. The city has acquired a water supply and a drain, a large number of secret paths and tunnels, and storage facilities for fresh water. Since the inhabitants of the settlement worshipped pagan deities for quite a long time, there were preserved places where pagan sacrifices were offered, among which there were sufficiently deep ones intended for sacrifices to underground gods. The sights of Georgia can rightfully be called one of the wonders of the World!
After a tour of Uplistsikhe, I recommend stopping in Gori at the restaurant "Joseph" on Stalin Avenue, 11 and asking them to put you in the Stalin suite. Strange, but delicious. Try the famous cutlets and other specialties.
After that, you can go to the Stalin Museum, but get ready. In the city where Joseph Vissarionovich was born, they love him. Don't get into arguments, nerves will still be useful to you.
❗️A trip of 5-6 hours along with a road trip, an excursion and lunch. It is very windy and sunny in Uplistsikhe. Grab a hat, windbreaker and sunscreen.
Uplistsikhe Cave City
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После можно и в Музей Сталина зайти, но готовьтесь. В городе, где родился Иосиф Виссарионович, его любят. Не вступайте в споры, нервы вам еще пригодятся.