The Cave City of Vardzia ( Georgia ) is a cave monastery dug into the side of the mountain in southern Georgia . It was founded by Queen Tamar in 1185.The monastery was constructed as protection from the Mongols, and consisted of over six thousand apartments in a thirteen story complex. The city included a church, a throne room, and a complex irrigation system watering terraced farmlands. The only access to the complex was through some well hidden tunnels near the Mtkvari river. An earthquak destroyed approximately two thirds of the city in 1283, exposing the caves to outside view and collapsing the irrigation system. The church was reinforced and an externally visible bell tower added in the thirteenth century. Persians raided the monastery in 1551, capturing all important icons and effectively ending the life of the monastery. In the modern days Vardzia is a major tourist attraction of Georgia The place is maintained by a small group of monks and can be visited for a small fee About three hundred apartments and halls remain visitable, and in some tunnels the old irrigation pipes still bring drinkable water.
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 05:27:09 +0000
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