In Uplistsikhe, streets and squares wind through one of the oldest inhabited sites in the Caucasus. The cave city in Shida Kartli offers an unusual glimpse into history: public areas are carved into the rock, and temples, a theater, pharmacies, wine presses and wine cellars are among its attractions. Since October 24, 2007, Uplistsikhe has been on Georgia’s Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage.
Uplistsikhe: Paths Through the Rock
Visitors can walk through the streets and squares and see the spaces carved into the rock. The different uses—from temples and theaters to pharmacies and wine cellars—give the site a character distinct from that of a single monument. Anyone interested in the region’s history will find a tangible place here where buildings and traces of everyday life meet in a rocky landscape.
Gori: Fortress, Views and Collections
Gori Fortress dates back to the 13th century and is an immovable cultural monument of national significance. It also serves as a viewpoint overlooking the city of Gori and the surrounding Caucasus Mountains. Here, history is present both as a structure and as a sweeping view over the city and mountains.
The Gori Historical and Ethnographic Museum preserves archaeological collections from the 4th to 3rd millennium BCE. Its manuscript department contains fragments of a medieval handbook from 1667, as well as works copied in 1729. The Stalin Museum offers a different perspective on collections: it has more than 40,000 exhibits in six exhibition halls. Alongside these collections, Gori-based master Giorgi Tatulashvili continues the tradition of glazed ceramics to this day.
Monastic Art from Different Periods
At the Kintsvisi Monastery complex, the Church of St. Nicholas is the central domed building. It dates from the 12th to 13th century; the icons of saints bear Georgian Asomtavruli script and Greek inscriptions. The construction of the complex is associated with the reign of Queen Tamar, from 1184 to 1212. Its works of art influenced the development of Georgian monumental and medieval art.
The Church of the Virgin Mary in the Rkoni Monastery complex reveals a different period: it was built in the second half of the 7th century and contains 12th-century frescoes. Comparing it with Kintsvisi shows how differently architectural history and visual art developed across the region.
Valleys and Hiking Trails
The valleys also connect landscapes with history, but in different ways. The Dzama Valley is home to up to 60 historic monuments, including old and modern churches and monasteries, fortresses and towers, as well as natural attractions. The Ateni Valley, in turn, preserves the remains of numerous Bronze Age settlements.
A 2.5-kilometer trail leads to Biisi Waterfall for a hike in the Ateni Valley. In the Dzama Valley, the Abukhalo trail leads to the summit of Bardzimjvari, from where there are sweeping views over the Kartli region. The two trails offer different highlights: one is defined by its stated length and the waterfall, the other by the summit and the view.
A Regional Bread Tradition
Alongside cave sites, monasteries and hiking destinations, Nazuki is also part of Shida Kartli’s character. This sweet bread has been made for centuries and is especially common in the region’s cuisine. It adds a culinary tradition explicitly associated with Shida Kartli to a visit to its monuments.
Discover more destinations: Agara, Mekheti, Surami, Didi Ateni, Kakheti, Guria, Imereti, Kvemo Kartli.
For the main travel overview: Georgia.
