In two days we have driven the from near Russia to the north to near Turkey/Armenia in the south. The landscape has changed and yet it is still mountainous, and they are still cultivating grapes and producing wine here in the south as well. And of course the dogs and Dunkin' Donuts are ever-present too!
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Looks almost like the American southwest
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Terraced vineyards
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We visited Rabati (which means Old Town) of Akhaltsikhe. This is a renovated 9th century town which had been conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, and so it has medieval and early Christian and Islamic buildings as well as traditional Georgian houses.
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Climbing the tower
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St. George killing the dragon
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First it was a church; then it was a mosque
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Cave City~! Vardzia is a 12th century cave complex that was a monastic center. Over time, earthquakes have changed the layout of the 3,000 caves and corridors that existed since then. There is a monastic community of 5-6 monks that still live here and receive guests! This place is amazing!
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Dining room with fire pit
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The pipe coming down from the top is part of the sewer system
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Natural spring water coming out of the wall is then pumped out to be used
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A little chapel area
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| The house shaped structure is a burial vault inside the cave |
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Burial Vault
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The cave for the Burial Vault
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They built this outside the church at a later time:
This is the part of the monastery that is still inhabited by monks:
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A Priest
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Tomorrow is our last day of our Georgian / Azarbaijan adventure. We will visit a nunnery where they make cheese on our way back to the capital, Tblisi.
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