David Gareji

David Gareji is one of the 3 cave- towns of Georgia (Uplistsikhe, David Gareji, Vardzia). Located in South-East Georgia, about 70 km away from Tbilisi, David Gareji is protected by UNESCO as World Heritage.

Rock-cut dwellings and monasteries were common not only in Georgia but in other countries of the Near East as well. In the Early and Middle Bronze Ages caves were cut in Kvemo Kartli, one of the ancient historical provinces of Georgia. Uplistsikhe was a functioning city by late Bronze Age times of 1000 BC and in the twelfth century AD the rock-cut town of Vardzia was founded, with caves distributed on thirteen levels. As about the Near East, the most remarkable example of rock-cut town is found in Cappadocia.

The Monastery complex of David Gareji was founded in the 6th century by one of the 13 Assyrian Fathers, David, who came to Gareji desert with his disciple, Lukiane and settled in a cave. They started to build the first monastery in the Gareji desert, which is known as Lavra of David.



The rock-cut cells at Gareji were at first rather small and irregular. They were intentionally uncomfortable since they were meant for ascetic life. Hermits and monks living in a community lived in close proximity to each other. They held services together in a common church. Later on, low elliptical cells with arched roofs appear; narrow benches were cut along their sides.



Lavra of David was the centre of monastic life. During the following centuries new monasteries were built and the number of monasteries reached 12. That’s why in the History of Georgia it is known as Twelve Monasteries of Gareji”. Gradually the chain of cave-monasteries were formed.



In addition to churches, chapels and cells, in the middle ages numerous caves start to be used at Gareji for practical, everyday, purposes; caves which serve as barns, bakeries, smithies, and housing for livestock. Terraces were constructed for agricultural purposes. The region is arid and the dry river beds are only filled with water during seasonal rains. The only constant source of water in Lavra of St.David is the so-called "David's Tears", where drip of water from the roof of a cave produce on average ten liters per day. This limited amount was not enough for a lot of monks living in the monastery. They found an effective way to use rainfall - they cut a system of crevices across the faces of steeply sloping hillsides which channelled rainwater into huge rock-cut reservoirs each with a capacity of 30,000-50,000 liters. There are four such reservoirs in the Lavra. The water collected this way, was used not only for irrigation purposes, but for drinking as well. The lime-based plaster they were lined with, served as a natural disinfectant.




Monasteries of David Gareji were important and remarkable for the religious and cultural life of Georgia.



The peak of the construction of David Gareji Monastery was achieved during the time of national and cultural-political rise, in XII - XIII centuries when the new monasteries were built: Udabno, Bertubani and Chichkhituri.



In the beginning of XII century David Gareji Monastery became a royal property and was released from state taxes.

The priests of the monastery participated in royal hall business and ecclesiastical administration of the country and the rich fund of manuscripts is still preserved.

The private art school of fresco painting functioned in the Udabno monastery and David Gareji elaborated the private rules of building and monastery life. Gareji art school represents one of the most significant events in the cultural life of medieval Georgia.



Most of frescos were damaged by vandals in the Soviet Era of the Georgian history. Besides, military trainings were held near David Gareji monastery complex, causing serious damages of the monastery.

David Gareji is one of the tourist attractions, especially for pilgrims. And the Monastic life is renewed after Soviet Atheistic stagnation period.




Special REMARK for my friend ALAA :)

A lot of reptiles live in Gareji Desert. Some people forbear from visiting this holy place, because they are afraid. In spite of the fact that there are lots of reptiles, nobody has ever been bitten by them. This miracle is connected with Father David. It is told that once a snake bit a man. Father David killed the snake and said: “No reptile will ever bite people in these places”. And since then nobody has been bitten in Gareji. Believe or not :)




In March we found only this poor lizard :)

And this blooming tree in semi-desert of Gareji :)



View more photos of David Gareji here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/irma.makharadze/DavidGareji02