At A Glance
- Coordinates
- 41.3812, 43.2842
Overview
Vardzia is a site of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 41.38121, 43.28416. Vardzia (Georgian: ვარძია [vaɾdzia]) is a cave monastery site in southern Georgia, excavated from the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain on the left bank of the Kura River, thirty kilometres from Aspindza. The main period of construction was the second half of the twelfth century. The caves stretch along the cliff for some five hundred meters and in up to nineteen tiers. The monastery was an important cultural center, a place of significant literary and artistic work. The Church of the Dormition, dating to the 1180s during the golden age of Tamar and Rustaveli, has an important series of wall paintings. The site was largely abandoned after the Ottoman takeover in the sixteenth century. Now part of a state heritage reserve, the extended area of Vardzia-Khertvisi has been submitted for future inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Located in სამცხე-ჯავახეთი, საქართველო.
Sacred Cluster
Nearby sacred places create the location cluster described in the growth plan. This block is intentionally crawlable and links into the wider regional graph.
