We looked across the Mtkvari River to a fascinating scene. A long cliff band, halfway up Erusheti Mountain is home to hundreds of pockmarks, each an opening to a hand-carved cave. We knew then that we would love exploring the cave city of Vardzia.
Originally built under the reign of King George III in the 12th century, Vardzia began with a few cleverly hidden refuge shelters needed during the frequent invasions. The legend of Vardzia says that the king was hunting in the area with his family, including his daughter Tamar. The young girl soon left the group and began exploring the cave hideouts. Her family didn’t know where she was and repeatedly called out for her. When she finally replied, she hollered ‘Ak var dzia” (I am here, uncle). And thus, it was named Vardzia.
Today, it is a an awe inspiring archeological site with13 levels of caves, high above the Mtkvari River (called Kura River in Turkey). Seeing it from across the river was like looking at a strange apartment complex from medieval times.
Tamar, the little girl lost in the caves, eventually became Queen. It was her vision to expand Vardzia, the place she loved as a child, from temporary shelters to a fully functioning city. Queen Tamar not only increased the number of cave homes but also built a monastery, a large cave church, and improved the infrastructure including irrigation networks. At its peak, in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, there were as many as 6,000 rooms and a staggering 19 tiers of caves.
Vardzia suffered significant damage from various invasions and an earthquake in the 13th century. Apparently, before the earthquake, many of the caves were hidden behind the mountain wall, not as exposed as we see today. Its importance waned, and by the16th century Vardzia was abandoned. Today, around 500 of those caves remain on 13 tiers, and give a glimpse of how this former city may have appeared.
It is a short walk from the river to reach the base of the caves. Once there, you can appreciate its strategic position above the Mtkvari River.
As we walked through the cave city, we poked our heads into many of the rock hewn caves. Although they are very similar, there are a few differing features. Some have taken advantage of the natural rock features, while others have perfectly carved, rounded entrances.
Many caves have various niches and shelves carved into their walls. Others have ovens dug into the floor, used to bake bread. We saw these same ovens in Uplistsikhe, a cave city over 200km away.
You’ll notice that some of the ceilings are blackened. It is thought that this occurred later, by passing travellers and traders, camping overnight in the caves. Others think the bread ovens may have caused some of the blackening, which seems likely.
In addition to homes and monk cells, there are chapels, a monastery refractory, wine cellars, and stables. Pharmacies are easy to spot due to the multiple shelves built to hold different herbs.
The city is partially divided into two with the tall bell tower in its centre. Although not a cave, the tower had a surprising find. Swallows built nests in the nooks of its elegant domed ceiling.
If we thought the caves were interesting in the first part of the city, we were amazed at the view of the other half. On the other side of the bell tower, we looked out to see hundreds of handmade caves dotting the side of the mountain. Today, stairs help you walk between the levels, but in its day, people would have walked on a combination of crudely made steps and natural staircases.
We followed one staircase that took us far below the main pathway, where we found another community, complete with hundreds of homes as well as more bakeries and pharmacies. It was strange that most people didn’t bother to walk down to this lower level.
It was from here that we looked up to see cave entrances, piled one on top of the other. Some of the caves in Vardzia are multi-level, multi roomed with tunnels allowing passage between rooms. These reinforced our understanding of the expert carving skills required to build this city.
The most important site in Vardzia is the Church of the Dormition. Built in 1186 under the reign of Queen Tamar, the massive hand carved church looks small from the outside, but it stretches deep into the mountain.
Your admiration will begin in its portico, where the old, vaulted ceiling still has remains of the original frescoes. Church bells hang in an open archway, adding to the old world ambience.
Inside, the nave almost looks like a typical Georgian church with tall walls below a barrel ceiling, both decorated in retouched frescoes. The main painting is a 12th century portrait of Queen Tamar and her father, King George III. When you’re inside, it’s almost unbelievable that this church is deep inside the mountain wall.
The church continues behind the nave where there are two separate passageways. One leads to a natural spring, named Tears of Tamar.
The other takes you to a narrow, hand-carved tunnel that climbs above the church to reach one of the upper levels. The tunnel can get quite narrow, so those with claustrophobia may not like it. At times, you can only see the long, tight stairwell with no sign of an exit. Eventually, though, you reach the top of the stairs and find yourself at another large complex. One of the rooms is called Tamar’s Room. The only thing to differentiate it from other caves is its pure, white walls. Tamar likely didn’t live here, but may have stayed for short periods of time.
From it, you can look down the city toward the church and bell tower.
Some caves near the church are still a part of the active monastery. This area is off limits to visitors and can easily be distinguished by the grape vines and flowers on the balconies. Imagine, a monastery still functioning in these caves.
Tips for Visiting Vardzia
Terrain – The site is very large and with the entrance at one end of the cliffs, and the exit at the other end, there is a lot of walking. To get between the caves, trails follow rough terrain and involve climbing up and down many sets of stairs. That means that the caves may not be suited to everyone. Plan to spend around 2 hours when you visit.
Dress Code – There is no official dress code, but since there is an active monastery onsite, conservative dress is recommended. To enter Church of the Dormition, women must cover their legs and hair, and men must not wear a hat. The ground is very uneven so good footwear is important.
Entrance fee – 15GEL (€4.75); Opening Hours – 10am-7pm daily. Audio guides are also available, but the voice tour takes over 2 hours. For a small fee you can take a shuttle from the ticket office up to the caves, but it is not very far to walk.
Final thoughts on Vardzia
While not as interesting as other cave towns we’ve visited, Vardzia is worth a visit. To read about other cave towns, check out our posts from Uplistsikhe, Georgia; Cappadocia, Turkey; Ajanta and Ellora, India; Goris, Armenia; and our cave hotel in Spain. David Gareji Monastery is another cave complex in Georgia. Due to its location on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border, a large section is closed to visitors, so we didn’t visit.
Where to stay when visiting Vardzia
There are a few guesthouses across the river from the cave city, but an easier option is to stay in Akhaltsikhe, or a little further away in Borjomi. If you’re considering staying in either Borjomi or Akhaltsikhe, we prefer the latter because it is more quaint. You can read about them in our post Rabati Castle and Mineral Springs – Akhaltsikhe and Borjomi. Some people visit on a day trip from Tbilisi or Kutaisi, but these are best to do with a tour, unless you have your own car.
Getting to Vardzia
Be aware that there are two Vardzias in Georgia. Google Maps seems to like to choose the wrong one. The correct one is near Akhaltsikhe and Aspinza. You can find it on our map below. Even though many people visit on a tour from Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Batumi, it is very easy to visit on your own, without a tour. This requires you to stay overnight in either Akhaltsikhe or Borjomi. Marshrutkas leave from Akhaltsikhe at 10:35 am, 12:20, 4pm and return at 12:30, 2:30, 6pm (1½ hrs, 62 km). They usually leave as scheduled, but if they are full, they may leave early. There are also taxis waiting at the bus station if you prefer. If you’re in Borjomi, you must first make your way to Akhaltsikhe and catch a marshrutka to Vardzia as mentioned above.
Khvertkitsi Fortress
If you have time, stop to visit Khvertkitsi Fortress. Its located on the road between Vardzia and Akhaltsikhe. Marshrutkas will stop below it. It looks like a great fortress, but we didn’t have time to visit.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Georgia.
To read more of our adventures in Georgia, click here.
Coming Next – Cultural Highlights Of Kutaisi
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