UPLISTSIKHE SITE

Uplistsikhe is worth the trip. It is an exceptional site. The ancient troglodytic town is located in a grandiose site on a rocky massif overlooking Mtkvari. This city has had a preponderant weight in the history of Georgia, from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. "It is one of the oldest human settlements in the Caucasus. From the 1st millennium BC to the 4th century AD, the city was a major cultural, spiritual and political centre. It is believed that the first inhabitants lived in natural caves, dug others, and then built palaces, temples and wall gates. In the Middle Ages, Uplistsikhe was an important trade stop on the Silk Road, located on the caravan route linking Central Asia with Russia and Anatolia. Strategically better protected, it was a refuge for the rulers of Tbilisi. It was then claimed that "whoever wanted to conquer Georgia had to take Uplistsikhe". When the Arabs took the city, the kings of Kartlie made it their residence. The city lost its importance in the 12th century when David the Reconstructor made Tbilisi the capital of the kingdom. Then the Mongols, Tamerlan and earthquakes led to its decline. Nevertheless, the city remained inhabited until the beginning of the 20th century. At its peak, in the Middle Ages, between the 9th and 11th centuries, it had 20,000 inhabitants.

. Climbing up to the Chida Kalaki, the 'inner city', from the river, one discovers the oldest theatre in Georgia, of which only the stage (supported by a concrete pillar) remains; the rest has collapsed. On the way up, we are facing Ouplistouli, a basilica of the 9th and 10th centuries, built on an eagle's nest. Next to it, we visit the ancient pagan temple where, it is said, human sacrifices were practiced. Going up towards the church, on the left is the "hall of Queen Tamar", Tamaris Dabarzi, possibly the royal palace of the city; inside, two columns date back to antiquity. In the basement you can see the prison, on the sides the old pharmacy (archaeologists have found medicinal herbs and parchments there). Above this room is a cave with 4 columns: it was the temple of the sun in pagan times. Climbing above the church, one can see the remains of ceramic pipes, which supplied Uplistsikhe with water from a spring a few kilometres above. A tunnel leads to the old city gate.