Georgian historical artifact the ancient city of Uplistsikhe - the sights of Georgia.

Representatives of two powerful states at that time - Urartu and Media, conducted exchange and trade of various goods, animals and, of course, the very slaves who were engaged in the construction of the city.

The first Christian church appeared on the top of the mountain on the site of the Temple of the Sun, after the stronghold of the adherents of the pagan faith fell. At that time, the Christian Mtskheta intensified - the scattered supporters of the pagan faith had practically no chance in a military confrontation with the supporters of the new faith.

Uplistsikhe means "Fortress of the Lord" in Georgian. The ancient cave city still looks very impressive and is one of the attractions of Georgia that attracts tourists.

One of the most interesting details of the Uplistsikhe cave complex is the water supply system, which was laid in ancient times. The water pipe was laid out of stone and its length was about 5 kilometers. The water on it came from a spring. Thus, water was delivered to the city from the northern part, from the rocky ridge.

There was also a second source of life-giving moisture - a well, which received water from the Kura River. According to historians, the water in the well was considered sacred and was not used for domestic purposes. It should be noted that Christians have treated the local population cruelly.

According to the customs of that time, local priests were put to death, as evidenced by a document found during archaeological excavations. The inhabitants, in turn, were partially expelled. And some of them suffered the same fate as the priests.

The second Christian church built on the site of the pagan one was the three-nave Christian basilica. It occupied an area of about 400 square meters . meters and was not a new building, but a rebuilt pagan temple.

All the buildings of that time, erected on the sites of pagan religious buildings, did not last for a relatively long time. Already in the tenth century, a new Uplistsuli church (Prince's Church) appeared. In turn, the basilica, which was gradually falling into disrepair, was not restored, but a bakery was made of it.

It can be said that Uplistsikhe had the status of a city and the corresponding strategic importance until the middle of the XV century. For a couple of centuries, the constant incessant raids of the Mongols led to the fact that a significant part of the cave city was destroyed, and the inhabitants began to leave it.

The tragic events that occurred during the raid of the Mongol ruler Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan, are dated to the thirteenth century. The Hulagu warriors executed about five thousand monks who lived in the city and burned forests in the vicinity of Uplistsikhe.

However, despite everything, the residents in Uplistsikhe still remained. This is evidenced by the notes of various travelers. In the documents of the XIX century, such inhabitants were called troglodytes, probably because they lived in caves half buried in the ground, in rather unusual conditions for ordinary people.

In the middle of the XIX century, units of soldiers and officers of the Russian Imperial Army were quartered in the vicinity of Uplistsikhe. Apparently, they went to get acquainted with local sights and left their autographs on the walls of the city, which have survived to this day.

The cave city received the official status of a tourist center only in the 50s of the last century. There, work was carried out to clear the settlement, archaeological expeditions were equipped, thanks to which, the historical and tourist value of the monument gradually increased.

The tragic events that occurred during the raid of the Mongol ruler Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan, are dated to the thirteenth century. The Hulagu warriors executed about five thousand monks who lived in the city and burned forests in the vicinity of Uplistsikhe.

However, despite everything, the residents in Uplistsikhe still remained. This is evidenced by the notes of various travelers. In the documents of the XIX century, such inhabitants were called troglodytes, probably because they lived in caves half buried in the ground, in rather unusual conditions for ordinary people.

In the middle of the XIX century, units of soldiers and officers of the Russian Imperial Army were quartered in the vicinity of Uplistsikhe. Apparently, they went to get acquainted with local sights and left their autographs on the walls of the city, which have survived to this day.

The cave city received the official status of a tourist center only in the 50s of the last century. There, work was carried out to clear the settlement, archaeological expeditions were equipped, thanks to which, the historical and tourist value of the monument gradually increased.