Georgia의 동굴도시-Uplistsikhe

This is one of the first cities in Georgia .

 For more than three thousand years here , in a huge rock of sandstone , was hollowed more than 700 caves ,

of which up to now remained about 150.

1. Uplistsikhe is located in 12 km from Gori downstream Hens .

On the way to it will throw a modern cable-stayed bridge .

2. Over the road overhanging cliffs of sandstone .

3. The town was founded at the end of II of - the beginning of the I millennium BC . E ,.

Has experienced several ups and downs , and was finally abandoned only in the XIX century .

4. After mastering the human fertile lands present Georgia in the Bronze Age , a pagan cult center location was originally located on a hill Katlaniskhevi ,

 located three kilometers west of Uplistsikhe .

After a major fire in the Katlaniskhevi , at the beginning of the Iron Age , religious center moved here .

5. In Uplistsikhe worshiped female solar deity , a symbol which later became the wheel .

6. It now looks the main street of Uplistsikhe , which in IV century BC . Oe . Became a city .

7. And this is - Sacred Road , passing the city from the south - east . To the right of it stands the city wall , which is a sheer drop .

8. Water tank drain .

9. At the end I of - the beginning of II century BC . E .

 In the rocks were carved hundreds of different structures , including temples , public buildings and homes .

The walls of some of them still covered with soot from the centers .

10. The increase is associated with the formation of Uplistsikhe Iberia - East - Georgian kingdom , whose capital was Mtskheta .

 Uplistsikhe was the temple town , the main religious center of Iberia .

11. Here are the remains of ancient altars in the south - western edge of the city . Archaeologists discovered here traces of multi-sacrificial animals .

12. At the bottom of the frame are the ruins of an ancient temple , which was later rebuilt in the nave Christian basilica .

 In the center of the pit is preserved sacrificial worship chthonic deities , roofed modern bars .

13. The pits had a diameter of one to four meters , the depth of some of them reached 12 meters . This is one of those holes , crap modern tourists .

14. Now almost the only permanent residents of the city - numerous lizards .

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16. This reptile in the process of molting .

17. Many of the rooms carved into the rock decorated with imitation wood or stone beams , columns and other architectural elements .

 In this sense, Uplistsikhe similar to the Nabataean Petra .

18. The well-known place of the city - the temple " with caissons " .

19. The device Uplistsikhe traced the typical features of the city of the Hellenistic period : defensive wall and moat , protecting the town in those areas ,

where there are no natural barriers , paved roads , a tunnel , going down to the river , water supply and sewage .

20. According to an ancient tradition , the city was not only a secret tunnel , and four entrances , oriented to the cardinal .

 North - west and north - east gate were clearly symbolic value and are not used in practice , as it appeared on the cliffs , defended Uplistsikhe north .

21. The construction of buildings in the city took place in two stages : first there is a rough gouging rock , then - fine grinding stone to the desired shape . When used water lapping and grinding stone , and this process not only gave the rock a desired shape , but also dealt a reliable a protective layer

on the surface of the sandstone .

22. Stairs in the city deserve a separate discussion . It could be hollowed out a tiny niche .

23. Here is a more " advanced " option .

24. There have been here such , writhing , with narrow awkward stairs .

25. But there were full , wide and comfortable stairs .

26. Religion in Uplistsikhe is a typical set of polytheistic beliefs of his time :

 the worship of the sun god , other celestial bodies and the entire pantheon of Georgian pagan gods , including gods of the earth ,

underground , water and others .

27. Temple Makvliani - the largest ( area of 300 m ² ) of the surviving temples of the Hellenistic period .

 The larger the pagan temples were rebuilt in Christian churches .

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thirty.

31. Walls " beautiful temple " are covered with numerous niches and holes .

32. Caissons in the ceiling of one of the temples .

33. Tomaz Sanikidze , one of the leading archaeologists settlement , described the course of a religious festival in the Hellenistic Uplistsikhe on

the basis of the results of the excavations :
" Priests in the place of honor set the statue of the goddess , began to ring the bells and rattles rattle , twist wheels , spikes which , touching klepalo ,

 published a frightening roar . bake the sacred bread with impressions of clay seals , cut the sacrificial animals and , sprinkling the meat with holy water ,

cooked on a sacred fire . holy wine from the large cellar made ​​libations in honor of the deity , singing hymns , praising the lord and thanking the lord for

giving them life and well-being , with the onset of the twilight in which - some of the temples were a mystery . "

34. you cut face on one of the walls .

35. " Hall of Queen Tamara " was built in the Hellenistic period , in the Middle Ages transformed into a royal residence .

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37. In the 337 year , after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion in Georgia , between the pagan and early Christians Uplistsikhe

emerged a major confrontation .

38. Priests and people of Uplistsikhe were persecuted , part of the premises of the city were destroyed and burnt , on the site of

 two major pagan temples arose Christian churches .

39. The church was rebuilt temple of the sun , located on the highest part of the city . Another , the biggest pagan temple area , exit to the

 " Central Square " , in VI century was rebuilt into a Christian basilica area of about 400 m ² .

40. But even for a long time continued to Uplistsikhe secret worship of pagan deities . Archaeologists have discovered a closed room ,

where, after the introduction of Christianity continued to implement small religious rites , sacrifice of animals .

41. In general , with the introduction of Christianity Uplistsikhe naturally plummeted value itself , donations flow stopped , the number of pilgrims

has fallen sharply . City on the value decreased to normal fortress .

42. In the early Middle Ages on the main site Uplistsikhe was built completely new church , which is called " the church Uplistsuli "

( Church of the Prince ). This building belongs to the X - the XI centuries .

43. Behind the temple in the rock carved oblong niches . Perhaps , it is the traces of Christian burial .

44. In the IX century in the life of Uplistsikhe was a sharp turn , and he was once again play a major role in the life of Georgia .

 At this time, the capital of Georgia , Tbilisi , was in the hands of the Arabs , and the main center of the kingdom , the subject of the struggle for

power and the throne , became Uplistsikhe .

45. In the IX - the X century Uplistsikhe was actually the main city of the kingdom of Kartli , its population during this period reached 20 thousand . Man .

46. ​​During this period, the river Kura , which is the most ancient period of the history of the city bathed rock from the north - west ,

has changed direction , and from the north - west side formed a large plot of fertile land , where also there was a settlement .

47. Now tourists visiting the ruins of medieval buildings with high cliffs in the west of the cave city .

48. In the XIII - the XIV century Uplistsikhe was destroyed by a series of Mongol campaigns and then ceased to play any -

 any significant role in public life .

49. The settlement on the banks of the Kura lasted until 1968 the year , when at the urging of archaeologists, local authorities moved

the residents in the surrounding villages .

50. Next to keep the old abandoned cemetery .

51. Some travelers XIX century marked presence in Uplistsikhe people , who were called troglodytes , probably , due to the uncomplicated way

 of life and due to the fact , that they literally lived in the caves of the earth is already listed . In 1920 , many buildings Uplistsikhe suffered from -

 for strong earthquake . From this period in the fort, nobody dwelt .

52. Now only the cows graze on the banks of the Kura River , where once - then seething life of the medieval city .

53. At the end Let's go through a secret tunnel , leading out of the city on the bank of the river .

54. Exiting the tunnel is hidden in that place , where the rock closest to the shore .

55. Past Kura carries its muddy waters .

56. In the settlement there is a small archaeological museum , where you can not only get acquainted with the artifacts from the excavations ,

 but also watch a short documentary film in English .