David Gareja (Udabno, Georgia)

Posted on 2 December, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

(All photos courtesy of Ms. Riva Galveztan)

After finishing our GNTA-sponsored tour of the Georgian countryside the day before, Riva and I again hired our trusted Georgian guide Sopho Makashvili to again tour us, this time to David Gareja (sometimes spelled Davit Gareja), the rock-hewn Georgian Orthodox monastery complex located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia, After breakfast, the next day, we again met up with Sopho at Meidan Square and all three of us boarded the Mercedes Benz Vito panel van of our driver Giorgi.

David Gareja

The complex was founded in the 6th century by St. David Garejeli (who came with pupil Luciane), one of the Thirteen Assyrian monks from Mesopotamia who arrived in Georgia at the same time to strengthen Christianity. Many monasteries in modern Georgia are named after the Assyrian Fathers. David was drawn to the desolation and purity of Kakheti. Luciane and Dodo, another of David disciples, expanded the original Lavra monastery and also founded two other monasteries – Dodo’s Rka (literally, “the Horn of Dodo”) and Natlismtsemeli (“the Baptist“).

Lavra Monastery

Under the guidance of the 9th-century Georgian saint Ilarion, the monastery also saw further development. Its convent was particularly patronized by the Georgian royal and noble families. After he abdicated the throne, the 12th-century Georgian king Demetre I (the author of the famous Georgian hymn Thou Art a Vineyard) chose David Gareja as a place of his confinement.

Tomb of David Garejeli

For many centuries, despite its harsh environment, the monastery remained an important center of religious and cultural activity and, at certain periods, it owned extensive agricultural lands and many villages. The renaissance of fresco painting chronologically coincides with the general development of the life in the monasteries. From the late 11th to the early 13th centuries, the economic and cultural development of David Gareja reached its highest phase, with new monasteries (Udabno, Bertubani and Chichkhituri) being built and old ones being enlarged and reorganized.

The refectory of Udabno Monastery

With the downfall of the Georgian monarchy, the monastery suffered a lengthy period of decline. In 1265, it was devastated by the Mongol army. Later restored in the early 14th century by Giorgi V the Brilliant, it was sacked by Timur and survived the Safavid Persian attack of Shah Abbas I on Easter night of 1615 when over 6,000 monks were massacred and the monastery’s unique manuscripts and important works of Georgian art were destroyed. The monastery was resurrected under Onopre Machutadze, who was appointed Father Superior of David Gareja in 1690.

The frescoes of David Gareja

After the violent Bolshevik takeover of Georgia in 1921, the monastery was closed down and remained uninhabited. In the years of the Soviet War in Afghanistan, the monastery’s territory was used as a training ground and military firing range for the Soviet army because of its supposed resemblance to the hills of the Afghan war zone. As a result, it inflicted damage to the unique cycle of murals in the monastery. After the restoration of Georgia’s independence in 1991, the monastery life in David Gareja was revived. The monastery remains active today and serves as a popular destination of tourism and pilgrimage.

Wall murals pockmarked by shelling

There are two options to get to this isolated and once restricted area – either via Sagarejo (with a road in an acceptable state) or via Rustavi. We went there via the latter. From Tbilisi, we were driven southeast, to the half-desert slopes of 2,432 m. (7,979 ft.) high Mt. Gareja, passing by Udabno, a village inhabited by 200 families, mostly Svans who moved here in the beginning of the 1990s because of an ecological disaster. The silence here feels inherent, with a lot of the concrete houses empty and their doors broken. The village’s Oasis Club Restaurant, a watering hole frequented by visitors, was closed for the winter.

The village of Udabno

The road we travelled on was in a very bad state, washed out to bare rock in some places, but easily traversed by 4-wheel drive vehicles. It goes through a vast and bleak, semi-arid but very dramatic landscape of scrub grasslands and hills occasionally interspersed with salt lakes (a refuge for migratory birds), truly one of the most memorable places I have ever visited.

A pair of saltwater lakes along the dirt road

There’s not much living here in this stretching steppe besides birds of prey and the rare lone shepherd tending his flock of sheep. I imagined, at one point several thousand years ago, it must have been covered in forest before early man chopped the trees down in search of iron ore and wood, forever changing its micro climate.

Grazing sheep

After some 60–70 kms. and 2 hours of driving, we finally arrived at David Gareja. It snowed the day before, but it was sunny during our visit. Still, blustery winds made it seemed we were in sub-zero temperatures. The complex consists of hundreds of hermit cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters hollowed out of the rock face. It has been subject to a border dispute between Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The author at David Gareja

Part of the complex is located in the Agstafa Rayon of Azerbaijan with a border fence literally built into the hillside. The area is also home to protected animal species and evidence of some of the oldest human habitations in the region. David Gareja is actually named for 12 monasteries in the immediate area but we were to only visit the monasteries of Davit Lavra (the only inhabited one today) and Udabno.

The modest interior of Lavra Monastery’s chapel

Our van was parked in a small lot in front of the fully functional main monastery of Lavra which has undergone substantial renovation. Sopho, Riva and I were accompanied by Giorgi. Here, we visited most of its rooms. The rooms not allowed for tourists are clearly marked with “no entrance” signs, in both English and Georgian. Inside the church we saw the tomb of St. David Garejeli. Outside the monastery is dry rock in reds, yellows and even pale blues stretching across the landscape.

Hiking to Udabno Monastery

The trail leading to the second monastery of Udabno (meaning “desert” or “wilderness” in English), high up on a bluff on the other side of the hill, was rather very steep, uneven and difficult, involving some scrambling over loose dirt and rocks in places. Luckily, I wore good and comfortable hiking shoes as well as brought my trekking pole (actually a monopod). Spraining your ankle would be really bad news here. The tough but manageable hike up took over an hour.

Remains of an uncompleted Soviet-era monorail

During our hike, we were joined by newly-arrived Polish couple Adrian Siesicki and Katarzyna Siesicka who hired a taxi to get to David Gareja. Along the way, we passed what remains of an uncompleted monorail started during Soviet times to carry passengers all the way up to the caves on the southern side. After zigzaging up the bottom half of the hill, our trail more or less followed the monorail’s line. Once on top, we had a wonderful view towards both Georgia and Azerbaijan, a vast valley 300 m. below that stretches away for miles. The view from here was worth the climb alone.

The Georgian side

The Azerbaijan side

On our way back, we saw many of the troglodyte churches of Udabno Monastery consisting of numerous caves carved into the rock, beside which are sheer unguarded drops. There are no guardrails. Some are more destroyed than others but still contain traces of faded frescoes depicting angels, apostles, etc. from the 11^th to 14th centuries, some just a few feet within cave walls.

A fresco-adorned niche

Fresco of an angel

Some are even found on exterior surfaces. The old monk’s refectory has a strangely carved rock along the floor that was once a low table. The wall above has a 10th century depiction of The Last Supper.

The strangely carved low rock table at the refectory

Fresco of The Last Supper

The descent provided us with great views of the surrounding landscape. Along the way, we passed by “David’s Tears,” the only spring in the area. This system of crevices, a unique hydro technical system used to collect the maximum amount of water during periods of rain (only 20-30 liters of water can be collected diurnally), was cut by the monks across sheets of rock on a steep mountain slope.

The system of crevices at David’s Tears

The high artistic skill of David Gareja’s frescoes (a celebrated Georgian school of fresco painting and manuscript illustration flourished here), an indispensable part of world treasure, has undergone nearly a thousand years of noticeable graffiti which has, together with erosion due to wind and sand and Russian artillery fire, taken its toll on some of the images which are unprotected by doors and open to the elements.

Grafitti on the walls

The story of how the monks came to live here is really fascinating and the great thing about the hauntingly historic, simple but charming David Gareja complex is that there has been little or no attempt to exploit it for tourism. What we saw was raw Nature without virtually any kind of facilities, thereby enjoying the peace, quiet, and remoteness of the place. It further proves my point – if you want to see amazing places with very few other tourists around, come to Georgia. According to a long held belief, they say that visiting David Gareja three times is equal to a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In that case, I am already a third of the way to the Holy City.

The author, Riva, Kasha, Adrian and Sopho

David Gareja: Mt. Gareja, Udabno, Georgia. During the hot season, bring lots of water and beware of red, blunt-nosed poisonous vipers. Public toilets (a small house with a red roof), some 100 m. before the entrance, are very basic. The lunar, semi-desert landscape turns green and blooms with flowers in early summer.

The Mercedes-Benz Vito panel van we used

How To Get There: From April 14 to October 15, there is an inexpensive (25 GEL) daily tour, via a direct marshrutka (shuttle bus) of Gareji Line, going from and back to Tbilisi.

Qatar Airways has daily flights from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Clark, Pampanga) to Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia) with stopovers at Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar, 15 hrs.) and Heydar Aliyev International Airport (Baku, Azerbaijan, 1 hr.). Website: www.qatarairways.com.

House Museum of Alexandre Chavchavadze (Georgia)

Posted on 1 December, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

After lunch at Pheasant’s Tears in Sighnaghi, Buddy, Pancho, Melissa, Riva, our guide Sopho and I continued on the final leg of our 3-day, GNTA-sponsored Georgian Countryside Tour, a 50-km./40-min. drive to the village of Tsinandali in the Kakheti region (79 kms. east of Tbilisi).

The house-museum (photo - Ms. Riva Galvestan)

The House Museum of Alexandre Chavchavadse (photo:- Ms. Riva Galvestan)

The village, lying in the Alazani River valley, was inherited by the 19^th century aristocratic poet (considered to be the founder of Georgian romantic poetry), writer, military leader, diplomat, public figure and inventor Alexandre Chavchavadze (1786-1846), one of the most important figures of his time, from his father, Prince Garsevan Chavchavadze.

Alexandre Chavchavadze (photo: www.tsinandali.com)

Alexandre refurbished the estate, constructed a new Italianate palace and, in 1835, built a decorative garden, a tranquil refuge in the shadow of the dramatic neighboring Caucasian Mountains. Here, he frequently entertained his foreign guests with music, wit and, most especially, the fine vintage wine made at his estate winery (marani), Georgia’s oldest and largest.

The park (photo: Ms. Riva Galvestan)

Familiar with European ways, Alexandre combined European and centuries-long Georgian winemaking traditions when he built the winery in 1846. He died in a bizarre accident in Tbilisi when his cloak got caught in the wheel of his carriage and he was thrown out, hitting his head on the ground.

Another view of the garden

Alexandre’s vineyard is still cultivated to this day and the highly regarded dry white Tsinandali is still produced here. Visitors can see a bottle of Saperavi wine from 1839, the first harvest at Tsinandali, plus a unique collection of 16,500 bottles of other sorts of wines from many countries.

The author waiting outside the manor’s iron gate (photo: Ms. Riva Galvestan)

On February 8, 1886, after David Chavchavadze’s (Alexandre’s son) death, the Chavchavadze family estate and park were acquired by the Estate Department of the Russian Empire and passed to the property of Tsar Alexander III and the Imperial family due to the failure to pay the debt to the Russian Public Bank.

Photo of Chavchavadze’s descedants (photo: www.tsinandali.com)

David had to mortgage the house to raise 14,000 silver rubles as ransom for the 23 women and children (including his wife and children) as well as servants of the household kidnapped on September 1854 by the charismatic Muslim leader Imam Shamyl and his Lezgin tribesmen from the Dagestan mountains.

Melissa at the stairway (photo: Ms. Riva Galvestan)

In 1887, the Tsinandali garden was renovated and, in 1917, was passed to the state. On August 1, 1947, the estate was organized into a museum and, in 2008, underwent renovation works when its rooms were restored with 19th century furnishings.

The White Salon (photo – www.tsinandali.com)

The 18-hectare house-museum, now leased to the Silk Road Group, a Georgia-based company, often hosts various exhibitions of works of various prominent Georgian and foreign artists such as Salvador Dali, Elene Akhvlediani, Levan Mekhuzla, Dimitri and Sandro Eristavi, Sergo Kobuladze and Karlo Kacharava. Each season, new exhibits make museum even more attractive, turning it into an important cultural site.

Dining Room (photo: www.tsinandali.com)

The perfect mixture of Georgian and European architectural cultures, this relatively small and unpretentious, 2-storey manor house, made with local sandstone, symbolizes the values Aleksandre Chavchavadze wanted to establish in Georgia. The exterior facade features unusually fine stonework and a veranda that incorporates Eastern ornamental woodwork and decorative elements that wraps around two sides of the house.

Crockery at the dining table (photo: www.tsinandali.com)

The rectangular house is situated in the midst of a beautiful and serene 18-hectare park. Its unique and interesting layout features a mixture of natural and decorated gardens. The first landowner in Georgia to employ European landscape designers, Alexandre had the park was renovated in 1887 by the famous landscape designer Arnold Ragel.

Bedroom (photo: www.tsinandali.com)

The park, a harmonious synthesis of wilderness and decorative landscapes, incorporates a number of existing oak, lime and maple trees (now 400 to 500 years old) and consists of orchards, walks and paths lined with vines, flowerbeds, and traditional Georgian rose bushes. On August 20, 1987, the Georgian government placed Tsinandali park on the list of the National Monuments of Landscape Architecture.

The Library (photo: www.tsinandali.com)

We arrived at the estate just before closing time, parking along a driveway flanked by superb sentinels of cypress trees. From the imposing iron entrance gate, we walked toward the house, anxious to get away from the biting cold. Upon entering, we were met by our English-speaking Georgian guide who directed us, up the grand stairway, to the second floor where we were to explore nine rooms of the house that show what the good life in Kakheti must have been like in the 19th century. The exhibits, exclusively devoted to Alexandre’s memorabilia and that of his family, were captioned in Russian and Georgian only.

Nina’s French piano (photo: www.tsinandali.com)

Our guide showed us objects that represent both the poet’s life and creative work – his epistolary and iconography archive; editions on various subjects in French, German, English, Polish and Armenian languages; manuscripts; works of photographer Ermakov; samples of painting and lithography; household objects; crockery (Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Georgian, Russian) and musical instruments.

L-R: Melissa, Sopho, our Georgian guide and Consul Cunanan (photo – Ms. Riva Galvestan)

The museum still had some of its original Georgian, Russian and French furniture, including the French piano (the first recorded piano in Georgia) with a folding keyboard, bought from Europe and given by Alexander Griboedov to his wife Nina (Alexandre’s daughter). There were also interesting paintings and photos of people and events associated with the house, including the Lezgin raid. There’s also a reproduction of the Winterhalter portrait of Chavchavadze’s wife Salome. Photography wasn’t allowed inside.

The hallway leading to the wine cellar (photo: Ms. Riva Galvestan)

There is a souvenir shop on the ground floor of the museum where one can find arts and crafts from the Kakheti region. Copies of Nino Chavchavadze’s handkerchief and of artifacts from archaeological excavations in Georgia are among the items for sale. Before leaving, we had coffee at the museum’s café.

The wine cellar

Tsinandali Museum: 2217 M-42, Tsinandali, Telavi District. Tel: (+995, 350) 3 37 17. Mobile number: (+995 5 99) 71 41 22. E-mail: maia_kokocha@yahoo.com. Website: www.tsinandali.com. Open Mondays to Thursdays, 10 AM – 6 PM, Fridays to Sundays, 10 AM – 7 PM. During the winter months, the museum closes at 5 PM.

Souvenir shop

Admission: standard (5 GEL, includes entrance to the garden, museum and vineyard as well as a guide to the museum exhibits), standard + tasting of one sort of Georgian wine (7 GEL), standard + tasting of various Georgian wines (20 GEL), visiting only park (2 GEL), schoolchildren (3 GEL) and university/college students (4 GEL). Entrance is free on May 18 (International Museum Day). Admission is also free for “Museum Honored Guests,” ICOM & UNESCO, children under school age and socially deprived, and refugees.

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

Pheasant’s Tears (Sighnaghi, Georgia)

Posted on 1 December, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

(All photos courtesy of Ms. Riva Galveztan)

The endpoint of our GNTA-sponsored walking tour of Sighnaghi town proper was Pheasant’s Tears where Buddy, Pancho, Riva, Mel and I, together with our Georgian guide Sopho Makashvili, were to have lunch and sample some Georgian wine. Pheasant’s Tears, a Georgian winery that produces artisanal natural wines according to ancient Georgian traditions, was founded in 2007 by John H. Wurdeman V and Gela Patalishvili.

Pheasant’s Tears

John, an en plein air painter and the first American graduate of the prestigious Surikov Institute in Moscow, first came to Georgia in 1996 and bought a house in Sighnaghi the following year. In 1998, he relocated to Georgia full time. Gela, a winegrower whose family’s connection with wine goes back 8 generations, met John in 2005 when John was painting in a vineyard near the highway in the Alazani Valley near the village of Tibaani. They decided to work together and set up Pheasant’s Tears. The name “pheasant’s tears” refers to a Georgian story in which only the very best wines are good enough to make a pheasant cry.

The restaurant’s rustic interior

An old wine press

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by Mr. Shergil Pirtskhelani, Pheasant’s Tears sommelier (wine steward), who brought us all to the winery’s basement cellar and gave us a brief introduction on ancient Georgian wine making traditions. All wines are fermented in kvevri, traditional clay amphorae which are lined with organic beeswax and buried into the ground. Kvevri wines seem to age faster than conventional wines.

The wine cellar

Fermentations using naturally occurring yeast is employed and slightly different techniques are used to make each of the wines. Some have moderate skin contact while others have minimal (3 weeks to 6 months). Stems are included in the wine making process. In 2013, the ancient traditional kvevri wine-making method was inscribed on the UNESCO representative list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

Our host Shergil Pirtskhelani

After this brief introduction, Shergil then toured us around John’s (who was at Tokyo during our visit) studio which houses his books, painting paraphernalia (easels, paint, brushes, etc.) and artwork that reflects John’s overflowing passion and love for Georgia.

Studio of John H. Wurdeman V

It was now time for lunch and we all went down to the private dining room which had a warming fireplace. The supra (Georgian feast) before us, prepared with fresh ingredients from the local markets by head chef Gia Rokashvili, a local Sighnaghian, was a take on traditional Georgian cuisine with an eye towards wine and food pairings, all designed to accommodate both veggie (Sopho and Riva belonged to this category) and meat lovers.

Kidney beans with wild thyme

Fresh vegetable salad

Stewed veal with vegetables

On the menu was matsoni (strained water buffalo yoghurt with red pepper); curds with black pepper and green onions; fresh vegetable salad, (radish, carrots, arugula, cabbage, onions, olives, tomatoes and cucumber in sunflower seed oil); mushrooms sautéed with garlic; kidney beans with wild thyme; omelet (radish greens, onions, pepper and broccoli); roast potatoes with tkemali (wild plum sauce) and stewed veal with vegetables.

The private dining room

While dining, Shergil poured 3 kinds of Georgian wine in our respective wine glasses for us to taste, helping us understand the roots that these wines came from. We started with Chinuri 2013, the lightest, crispest white wine in the line-up; followed by Rkatsiteli 2011 which was spicy and exotic on the nose, with warm peachy notes; and Tavkvevri 2013, a vivid, juicy and berryish red wine. He also assumed the role of tamada (Georgian toastmaster) as we sampled each of these wines.

Chinuri, Rkatsiteli and Tavkvevri wine

L-R- Mel, Riva, Sopho, the author, Pancho and Buddy

Shergil happened to be a music teacher who teaches folk and sacred songs from Georgia with traditional Georgian stringed instruments. After our magnificent repast, he regaled us by playing the guitar while Ms. Enek Peterson, an American from Boston (Massachusetts), serenaded us with the popular spiritual song “Hallelujah” (written by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen in 1984) plus a Georgian song. This capped a wonderful afternoon filled with great art, delightful Georgian cuisine and soul-searching music.

Shergil and Enek serenading us with two songs

Pheasant’s Tears: 18 Baratashvili St., Sighnaghi, Georgia 4200. Tel: 0 355 23 15 56. Mobile number: +(995 599) 53-44-84. E-mail: jwurdeman@pheasantstears.com. Website: ww.pheasantstears.com.

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

Sighnaghi: City of Love (Georgia)

Posted on 1 December, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 2 Comments ↓

After our short stopover at the venerated Bodbe Monastery, we continued on our GNTA-sponsored tour, proceeding on a short 2-km. drive to the town center of Sighnaghi. We arrived at the town by 11:30 AM and alighted at a park with a monument to Georgian philosopher, journalist, historian and native son Solomon Dodashvili (May 17, 1805 – August 20, 1836).

Postcard-pretty Sighnaghi (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Other famous sons of the town include composer Vano Sarajishvili, political figure Sandro Mirianashvili and world-renowned primitivist painter Niko Pirosmani. We were to have lunch at Pheasant’s Tears but, as we still had some time to spare, our Georgian guide Sopho Makashvili took us on a walking tour around the town.

Monument to native son Solomon Dogashvili (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Sighnaghi, located in Georgia’s easternmost region of Kakheti, is the administrative center of the Sighnaghi district and one of the country’s smallest (2.978 km²) towns (2002 population: 2,146). One of Georgia’s leading trading centers in the 19^th century, Sighnaghi’s economy is dominated by the production of wine, leather, gobelin tapestry, woodcarving, metal craft, ceramics, traditional carpets and traditional food.

Uniquely designed terrace architecture of the town

The town and its environs, also known for their landscapes and historical monuments, has recently undergone a fundamental reconstruction and has become an important part of the Georgian tourism industry (it is now known as the “City of Love”). The town is also the jump-off point for exploring the lush vineyards of Kakheti, the cradle of wine (Georgia boasts of 500 varieties of grapes, more than anywhere else in the world).

The author exploring part of Sighnaghi's defensive wall and towers

Exploring part of Sighnaghi’s defensive wall and towers (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

The town was developed in the early 18^th century by the king Erekle II (Heraclius II) as a refuge for the population against Lezgin and Persian attack, hence the name sighnaghi which comes from the Azeri word signak meaning “shelter.” In 1762, he sponsored the construction of the town and erected a fortress to defend the area from marauding attacks by Dagestan tribesmen. The 4.5 m. high, 1.5 m. wide and 4.5 km. long city wall, one of the biggest in Georgia, has 23 towers, each named after local villages the town is surrounded by, and 6 entrances.

Our guide Sopho Makashvili, Riva Galvezltan, the author and Consul Buddy Cunanan (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Sopho showed us, from afar, the section of the city’s defensive wall that has been restored for tourism and we climbed one of the towers for a panoramic view of the town. Walking along the town’s narrow cobblestone streets, I was also enthralled by the uniquely designed terrace architecture of the 2 to 3-storey tiled-roof houses of Sighnaghi, the majority of which still date back from 17^th, 18^th and 19^th century. Built with fine Georgian brick, they were built to accommodate a variety of stores and workshops, above which are wooden, lacy balconies and bow-backed windows. The town also has a beautiful fountain.

A beautiful fountain

Consul Buddy Cunanan and I also observed a number of Georgian men playing nardi (backgammon). Popular in Georgia, men, women, children and the elderly all know how to play it, and just about every family owns a backgammon set. They say that life in Georgia is like a game of backgammon – people tend to approach life like a game of chance.

Georgian men playing backgammon in the open

Georgian men playing nardi (backgammon) in the open (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

We also visited the town’s market, near the town hall, where fresh fruits and vegetables, locally made Georgian red (saperavi) and white wine and the clear and strong chacha (Georgian pomace brandy); natural honey; churchkhela (the traditional type of Georgian candy from the Caucasus region also referred to as the Georgian “Snickers”) and cheeses. Buddy and I each tried out a glass of Georgian wine.

An array of products sold at the market (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

There are also Georgian spice and spice mixes such as khmeli suneli (a powdered herb/spice mixture), adjika (a spicy paste or sauce seasoned with hot chili peppers) and pilpili (pepper) plus a picturesque array of knitted goods (Georgian socks with traditional patterns, local wool, hats, scarves, slippers, baby booties, etc.) for sale at cheap prices.

The town hall with its distinctive clock tower

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

The Monastery of St. Nino at Bodbe (Sighnaghi, Georgia)

Posted on 1 December, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 2 Comments ↓

Just 2 kms. from the town of Sighnaghi, we made another stopover at the Monastery of St. Nino at Bobde, one of the major pilgrimage sites in Georgia as it is the burial place of the revered St. Nino. A 4th-century female evangelist of Georgians, she is credited with the conversion of the ancient East Georgian Kingdom of Iberia (and Armenia by some accounts) to the Orthodox Christian faith. She withdrew to the Bodbe Gorge, in Kakheti, and died there around 338-340 AD. At the behest of Iberian King Mirian III (reign: 284-361 AD), a small monastery was built at the place where St. Nino was buried.

The monastery church

The monastery gate

During the late Middle Ages, the monastery gained particular prominence when it was favored by the kings of Kakheti who chose it as the place of their coronation. In 1615, the Bodbe monastery was pillaged by troops of Shah Abbas I of Persia but was restored by King Teimuraz I of Kakheti (reign: 1605-1648). With the revival of monastic life in Bodbe, a theological school was opened and the monastery also operated one of the largest depositories of religious books in Georgia and was home to several religious writers and scribes.

The well-kept garden with cypress trees

Under Metropolitan John Maqashvili, Bodbe monastery continued to flourish even after the annexation of Georgia by the Russian Empire (1801), enjoying the patronage of Tsar Alexander I of Russia. In 1823, the monastery was repaired and adorned with murals. However, upon John’s death in 1837, the Russian Orthodox exarchate, active in Georgia since 1810, abolished the convent and converted it into a parish church. The monastery went into disrepair in the following decades but, in the 1860s, Archimandrite Macarius (Batatashvili) began to restore the monastery and established a chanting school.

The cobble stone walkway

In the 1880s, Mikhail Sabinin refurbished the chapel housing St. Nino’s relics. In 1889, Tsar Alexander III of Russia visited Bodbe and decreed to open a nunnery there. The resurrected convent operated a school where needlework and painting was taught but, in 1924, the Soviet government closed down the monastery and converted it into a hospital. In 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Bodbe monastery was resumed as a convent. Between 1990 and 2000, restoration works were carried out. In 2003, restoration was resumed when part of the 17th-century wall surrounding the basilica was demolished and the earlier, original one restored.

The church entrance

Today, the monastery, nestled among tall cypress trees on a steep hillside overlooking the Alazani Valley, is very well set up to the handle the thousands of visitors it receives each year. Just outside the gates is a complex with amenities such as parking, a restaurant run by the nuns, and clean restrooms.

The bell tower (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Once inside the gate, we were welcomed by lovely, well-kept and peaceful gardens and orchards. I instantly felt relaxed as we walked its smooth stone walkways surrounded by its peaceful beauty. In spite of our arrival, the nuns we saw still went about their daily business and devotions. The first structure that greets you is the free-standing, 3-storey bell-tower which was erected between 1862 and 1885.

A grave beside a side entrance

Adjacent to the tower is the extant church, a 3-nave aisled basilica with 3 protruding apses. Originally built between the 9th and 11th centuries, it had been significantly modified and restored, especially in the 17th and 19th centuries when both exterior and interior walls were plastered. Integrated within the basilica is a small hall church with an apse built over St. Nino’s grave. Photography wasn’t allowed inside and strict dress code is observed. The church is richly decorated with frescoes and there are a few impressive icons in it. The tomb of St. Nino is covered with a marble memorial.

The Gift Shop (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Items on sale at the Gift Shop (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

At the back of the church is a viewpoint with a spectacular view of the Alazani Valley beneath us and, as it was a fine, clear day, the snow-clad Greater Caucasus mountains beyond. Quite enchanting. We also visited the nice gift shop which has religious and cultural items (icons, prayer ropes, books, local Georgian crafts, postcards, candles, trinkets, etc.) on sale. Here, I bought a beautiful watercolor painting of St. Nino (not an iconic painting but a modern painting) as well as one of Emperor Constantine and St. Helena together. I left these with Buddy, who had it blessed inside the basilica, together with those he bought.

The author at the view point (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

I noticed a sign pointing us to the direction of St. Nino’s Spring which is some 3 kms. from the convent. To get there, we would have to hike steeply down some 600 odd steps (with occasional landings with benches) that wind its way through pleasant woodland. Too bad we didn’t have time to do so. In the 1990s, the small Chapel of St. Zabulon and St. Sosana was constructed to house the spring, which is believed to have magical curative properties. According to a local legend, the spring emerged through Nino’s prayers.

The snow-clad Greater Caucasus Mountains

I truly appreciated our visit to this very tranquil and restful place, probably the most dramatic monastery in the country. With its divine atmosphere, it is certainly worth a long stopover.

The monastery’s orchards

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

Gergeti Trinity Church (Stepantsminda, Georgia)

Posted on 30 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

After our lunch at the Rooms Hotel in Stepantsminda, Buddy, Pancho, Melissa, Riva, Sopho and I again boarded our Mitsubishi Delica L-400 van that would take us, a further 450 m. up, to Gergeti Trinity Church, a popular name for the Holy Trinity Church. This isolated church, situated on the right bank of the river Chkheri (the left tributary of the river Terek), at an elevation of 2,170 m, is located just outside the town, near the shepherd’s village of Gergeti.

Gergeti Trinity Church

The small but well-preserved church, known to be the only cross-cupola church in Khevi province, was built in the 14th century. Its separate bell tower dates back to the same period as the church itself. During the Soviet Period all religious services were prohibited, but the church still remained to be a popular tourist destination. The church is now an active establishment of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church.

The separate bell tower

The drive, up a rough, rocky and snow-laden mountain trail through the forest, took us around 30 minutes. There was fantastic scenery all throughout the ascent, with scenic alpine valleys, crystal-clear streams, and great vistas of mountains.

The church with Caucasus Mountains in the background

Upon our arrival just below the church, Sopho, Buddy, Riva and I hiked up the remaining distance to the church. Pancho and Melissa stayed behind in the van. Once there, we were held in awe by the breathtaking and panoramic view of the towering Caucasus Mountains, with the fabulous 5,034 m. (16,516 ft.) high, snow-capped Mt. Kazbegi (Georgia’s 3rd highest mountain, after Mt. Shkhara and Janga, and the seventh highest peak in the Caucasus Mountains) in the foreground of the church.

The author at the viewpoint

Inside this small but gorgeous and intimate church are amazing old doors, some impressive frescoes and beautiful paintings of icons (including a rare Black Madonna icon which was saved from a fire). Probably the most fundamentalist of Georgian Orthodox churches, ladies really need to wear a headscarf, long sleeves and a skirt to go inside (there is a changing room with these items provided). Men also have to wear trousers to get in.

The church facade

There was no entrance fee but photography wasn’t allowed inside. In the ceiling, there is a trap door where, according to the 18^th century Georgian author Vakhushti Batonishvili, the precious relics from Mtskheta, such as St. Nino’s cross, were brought here for safekeeping in times of danger or possible invasion.

Detail of bas-reliefs

The church, a popular waypoint for trekkers in the area, can also be reached via a steep 1.5 to 3 hour (depending on your fitness level) uphill climb. Gergeti Trinity Church’s isolated location on top of a steep mountain, surrounded by the vastness of nature, has truly made it a worthy symbol for Georgia. The sheer scale and immensity of this serene place was incredible and it’s too beautiful not to visit if you ever find yourself in Georgia.

The Mitsubishi Delica L-400 4×4 van we used to get up the mountain

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

Ananuri Fortress (Georgia)

Posted on 30 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

(All photos courtesy of Ms. Riva Galveztan)

We started Day Two of our GNTA-sponsored tour of the Georgian countryside by traveling 157 kms. to the northeastern Georgian town of Stepantsminda (formerly Kazbegi). To get there, we would travel along the Georgian Military Highway. This historic mountain road that crosses the Greater Caucasus Mountains, connecting Tbilisi in Georgia with the Russian town of Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia, passes through narrow gorges squeezed between colossal mountains, making for some amazing views.

The amazingly scenic Ananuri Fortress

On one of the turns along the highway, about 72 kms. (45 miles) and an hour away out of Tbilisi, we made a stopover at the scenic Ananuri Fortress which stands spectacularly on a promontory above the large, 11.5 sq. km., azure-blue Zhinvali water reservoir on the Aragvi River, an important water supply for Tbilisi formed after the construction of the Zhinvali Dam.

The Zhinvali water reservoir

To get to the castle, we had to make a short walk down a narrow road. This castle complex, the seat of the redoubtable eristavis (dukes) of Aragvi, a feudal dynasty which ruled the area from the 13th century, was the scene of numerous battles as it guarded the way to the ancient capital of Dusheti and, centuries later, the main road linking Georgia with Russia, serving as a garrison for Russian troops.

The crenellated curtain wall

Zurab Aragveli, a ruthless local prince known for attacking neighboring mountain clans and even blinding his own brother, was responsible for building much of what is now seen. In 1739, the fortress was attacked and set on fire by forces commanded by Shanshe, the duke of the rival duchy of Ksani, and the Aragvi clan was massacred. The usurpers, in turn, were killed 4 years later when local peasants revolted against their rule.

One of the fort’s towers

King Teimuraz II was invited to rule directly over them but, in 1746, the king was forced to suppress, with the help of King Erekle II of Kakheti, another peasant uprising. The fortress remained in use until the beginning of the 19th century. In 2007, the complex was placed on the tentative list for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage Site program.

Interior of one of the round towers

The late-feudal Georgian fortress complex, incorporating a circuit wall with turrets, porch, churches, a spring, a reservoir and a Svanetian tower with a stepped pyramidal roof, consists of 2 fortifications joined by a crenellated curtain wall. The well-preserved upper fortification, with a large square tower (known as Sheupovari), is the location of the last defense of the Aragvi against Shanshe.

The Church of the Assumption

The lower fortification, with a round tower, is mostly in ruins. Within the complex are two churches. The brick Church of the Virgin, the older of the two, dates from the first half of the 17th century. Abutting a tall square tower, it has the graves of some of the Dukes of Aragvi. Its interior, no longer decorated, has a stone baldaquin erected by the widow of Duke Edishera, who prematurely died in 1674 without giving her a child.

The tall, narrow watchtower adjacent to the west wall of the church

We were to visit the upper fortification. Three of the upper fortification’s five massive towers, including the largest Sheupovari Tower, face the Georgian Military Highway. We all entered the complex to the right of the fortification, from the middle of the southern wall. As we entered the fortress, we faced the Church of the Assumption (Ghvtismshobeli), the main domed cathedral and the larger of the two churches.

Grapevine cross carved on the south façade of the church

Georgian script carved on the south facade of the church

The church, built in 1689 for the son of Duke Bardzem and designed by architect: K. Bakhsarashvili, has a central dome and its earliest pyramidal tower is located by its western wall. It is interesting to explore from the outside as it has a richly decorated façade with some very well-preserved bas-reliefs featuring human, animal and floral images. The north entrance has Georgian script carved on the walls while the south façade has a carved grapevine cross. Adjacent to the west wall of the church is a tall, narrow watch tower dating from the 13th or 14th century.

The church’s modest interior

The central dome of the church

Inside its modest interior, we could still see the remains of a number of frescoes, most of which were destroyed by a fire in the 18th century. Among the scenes depicted are the famous Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, prominent ecclesiastical figures which represent convincing evidence for the study of the iconography of these figures. We also saw people lighting candles (bought from the kiosk on the left hand side as you enter the church) and placing them underneath paintings and icons of saints. Along the church’s east wall are several tombstones.

Fresco of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers

Too bad we didn’t have time to climb its towers. This fortified ensemble truly was photogenic, thanks to its wonderful location overlooking the Zhinvali Reservoir, as well historically significant, thanks to centuries of royal rivalry. Indeed this true castle, the first one I ever visited, is about as medieval as one can get and was well worth a visit.

Melissa, Sopho and Consul Cunanan

Ananuri Fortress: Georgian Military Highway, Ananuri. Open daily, 9 AM – 7 PM. Admission is free.

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

Uplistsikhe Cave Complex (Georgia)

Posted on 29 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

We were already through with the first day of our 3-day GNTA-sponsored tour of the Georgia countryside, our last destination being the Stalin State Museum in Gori. We still had a lot of daylight left, so we decided to continue on to the ancient, rock-hewn and now abandoned town of Uplistsikhe (literally meaning “the lord’s fortress”), located in Shida Kartli, a suburb just 14 kms. (a 20-min. drive) east of Gori.

Uplistsikhe Cave Complex

Uplistsikhe is remarkable for the unique combination of various styles from rock-cut cultures of the region, most notably from Cappadocia in Anatolia (now modern Turkey) and Northern Iran, and the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture. Built on the high rocky sandstone massif along the left bank of the Mtkvari River, the area was identified by archaeologists as one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia, containing various structures dating from its founding in the Late Bronze Age (around 1,000 BC) to the Late Middle Ages (13^th century AD). Its natural sandstone rock easily lent itself to various kinds of treatment, making it possible to create complex decorative compositions.

The Mtkvari River

Strategically located in the heartland of ancient kingdom of Kartli (or Iberia as it was known to the Classical authors), the town’s age and importance as a major political and religious center of the country (between the 6^th century BC and the 11^th century AD) led medieval Georgian written tradition to ascribe its foundation to the mythical Uplos, son of Mtskhetos, and grandson of Kartlos.

The tourist complex

Early in the 4th century, with the Christianization of Kartli, Uplistsikhe seems to have declined in its importance, losing its position to Mtskheta and, later, to Tbilisi, new centers of Christian culture. During the Muslim conquest of Tbilisi in the 8th and 9th century, Uplistsikhe reemerged as a principal Georgian stronghold, becoming the residence of the kings of Kartli, during which the town grew to a size of around 20,000 people and evolved into an important caravan trading post along the Silk Road. However, a Mongol raid in 1240 destroyed large parts of the town, marking the ultimate eclipse of the town. It was virtually abandoned and, only occasionally, in times of foreign intrusions, used as a temporary shelter.

The start of our hike

The approximately 4-hectare Uplistsikhe complex, tentatively divided into 3 parts, consists of a south (lower), middle (the largest) and north (upper) part. The middle part, containing the bulk of Uplistsikhe’s rock-cut structures, is connected to the southern part via a narrow rock-cut pass and a tunnel. Narrow alleys and, sometimes, staircases radiate from the central “street” to the different structures.

The Theateron (Theater)

The ornate ceiling carved with octagonal Roman-style designs

Most of the caves are devoid of any decorations. However, some of the larger structures have coffered, tunnel-vaulted ceilings, with stone carved in imitation of logs, as well as niches, which may have been used for ceremonial purposes, in the back or sides. Archaeological excavations in the area since 1957 (when only the tops of a few caves were visible) have uncovered numerous artifacts from different periods, many of which are in the safekeeping of the National Museum in Tbilisi. Most of the unearthed artifacts include gold, silver and bronze jewelry, plus samples of ceramics and sculptures.

Sopho and Pancho performing “Romeo and Juliet” at the Theateron

The earthquake in 1920 completely destroyed several parts of the most vulnerable areas and the stability of the monument remains under substantial threat, prompting the Fund of Cultural Heritage of Georgia, a joint project of the World Bank and Government of Georgia, to launch a limited program of conservation in 2000. Since 2007, the Uplistsikhe cave complex has been on the tentative list for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage program. Originally, the city had about 700 caves but, today, only 150 remain.

Round pits thought to have been used for corn storage or for sacrificial purposes

We all arrived at Uplistsikhe at around 4 PM, paid the entrance fee and started our 2-hour exploration of the 40,000 sq. m. Shida Qalaqi (“Inner City”), which is less than half of the original whole, by hiking about 5 m. up the rocks (opposite the toilets and cafe at the entrance), then following the rock-cut path to the left. Steps, with metal railings, lead us up through what was the main gate. To the right, sitting under a corrugated roof, is the excavated main tower of the Shida Qalaqi’s defensive walls.

Tadpole-shaped pits that may have been ovens for baking bread

We observed many round pits dug in rock, thought to have been used for corn storage or for sacrificial purposes, while tadpole-shaped pits may have been ovens used for baking bread. Scattered throughout the city are narrow circular holes, of different depths, cut in the ground to hold several prisoners.

Inspecting a wine cellar

We also noticed a wine cellar, a pool for water storage and a wine press where grapes are crushed, allowing the juice to run down a chute into another container. During the hike, we made short stops in between to admire the beautiful view of the river and the whole surroundings.

A wine press

Ahead of us, overlooking the Mtkvari River, is the Theateron (Theater), probably a temple from the 1^st or 2^nd century AD where religious mystery plays may have been performed. This cave has a pointed arch, carved in the rock above it, and an ornate, tunnel-vaulted ceiling carved with octagonal Roman-style designs resembling three-dimensional plaster work. Behind the stage are dressing rooms.

The Temple of Makvliani

Returning towards the main gate, we turned left to wind your way up the main street. Down to the right is the large pre-Christian Temple of Makvliani. With an inner recess behind an arched portico, the open hall in front has stone seats for priests.

Tamaris Darbazi (Hall of Queen Tamar)

A little further up, on the left, is the big hall known as Tamaris Darbazi (Hall of Queen Tamar), almost certainly a pagan temple (though Georgia’s great Christian Queen Tamar may have used it later). Behind two columns cut from the rock is a stone seat dating from antiquity. The hall has loggias on three sides. The ribbed stone ceiling, cut to look like wooden beams, has a hole to let smoke out and light in. An open area, to its left, has stone niches along one side, thought to have once been a pharmacy or dovecote. To the right of Tamaris Darbazi is a large cave building, probably a pagan sun temple used for animal sacrifices and, later, converted into a 3-naved Christian basilica.

The 3-naved Christian basilica

Near the summit of the hill is the Uplistsulis Eklesia (Prince’s Church), a picturesque triple-church Christian basilica built with stone and brick in the 9th -10th centuries over what was probably Upliistsikhe’s most important pagan temple. Inside the simple interior are some candlelit icons but no frescoes (they have been whitewashed).

Uplistsulis Eklesia (Prince’s Church)

Outside, we again had breathtaking views of the river and the Caucasus Mountains. On our way back, we entered a dark, 40 m. long tunnel with a long flight of metal stairs, behind a reconstructed wall beside the old main gate, running down to the Mtkvari River, an emergency escape route that could also have been used for carrying water up to the city.

The simple church interior

Our visit to this lovely place with an interesting history was unique in that we really had full access to the whole site (elsewhere most of this would all be fenced off) so we really got the feel of this city literally cut into the mountainside by soaking up its history and rustic charm. Well off the beaten track, but definitely worth a visit. The memory of this lovely ancient cave city would linger in my mind long after I have gone home.

Exiting down the 40 m. long tunnel

Uplistsikhe: Shida Kartli, Gori, Georgia. Open 11 AM – 6 PM. Admission: 3 GEL.

Stalin State Museum (Gori, Georgia)

Posted on 29 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

After lunch, Buddy, Pancho, Melissa, Riva and I, plus our Georgian guide Sopho Makashvili, proceeded on our GNTA-sponsored tour of Stalin State Museum located within Gori town proper. This museum, officially dedicated to the life of Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin (who was born Iosef Dzhugashvili in Gori on December 18, 1878), was begun in 1951, ostensibly as a local history museum but was clearly intended to become a memorial to Stalin, who died on March 5, 1953. It defiantly opened in 1957, the year after Nikita Khruschev’s secret speech denouncing Stalin.

The large, ornate Exposition Building

The Expostion Building’s tower

In 1989, with the downfall of the Soviet Union and independence movement of Georgia, the museum was “closed,” post-perestroika. However, school groups were still being shown around and, now, it has abandoned all pretense of being closed and has since been reopened. Now a popular tourist attraction, it has retained, until recent years, its Soviet-era characteristics and it now highlights the Soviet-era Stalin personality cult. The museum has 3 sections, all located in the town’s central square.

The Exposition Building’s collonade

We first dropped by the main corpus of the complex, the Exposition Building with a tower at one end. This large, ornate palazzo, one of the biggest buildings in town, was built in the Stalinist Gothic style. While waiting for our guide at the lobby of this rather typical Soviet-era house museum, we checked out the gift shop.

The museum Gift Shop

Some of the “souvenirs” on sale include key chains, mugs, lighters, wine flasks, mini busts and Stalin red wine but the vast majority seemed too kitschy to purchase. After a short wait, we finally met up with our English-speaking guide – the svelte, friendly and polite Natia Jolbordi.

The grand, W-shaped stairway with Stalin’s statue on the landing

The museum tours starts at the second floor of the building which may be reached only by a grand, W-shaped stairway (there are no elevators) whose landing has a life-size statue of Stalin. This complex of exhibits is divided into six halls, all well laid out in roughly chronological order and most dedicated to Stalin’s role in the big patriotic war and his victory over Nazism and fascism.

Our guide Natia Jolbordi

About 70% of the exhibits are photos (mostly reproductions) of various events, pictures from Dzugashvili’s life and of leaders and important events of the Soviet Union. The display also includes artifacts related to Stalin in different periods in his life, illustrations, paintings and newspaper articles headlining his achievements. Many of the items on display have written English descriptions but most, however, are described in Georgian and Russian and that’s why it is so important to have an English-speaking guide.

A display hall

Private things of Stalin’s mother

Our museum guide, Natia went through the very well presented information in a very knowledgeable manner and, after she had finished, was on hand to answer our questions. I was particularly interested in Stalin’s personal life: childhood, his early days when he was in school and the information about his own family and children.

Photos of a young Stalin (lower left) and his contemporaries

I was very enlightened by the story of his eldest son Yakov (from his first wife Ekaterina Svanidze) whom he lost on April 14, 1943 at Sachsenhausen concentration camp, (Oranienburg, Germany) during World War II. I also found the early “revolutionary” years of Stalin especially interesting. Natia told us everything down to the minute detail. She was great.

Consul Buddy Cunanan posing a question to Natia

We also had the opportunity to see display cases containing a couple of Stalin’s famous pipes, private things of Ekaterina Jugashvili (Stalin’s mother), medals awarded to him and gifts (carpets with the face of Stalin, needlepoints, a tobacco-leave mosaic, a hammer and sickle desk lamp, etc.) from various other nations and made to him over the years during his reign.

Display cases with gifts to Stalin

Our journey ended in a darkened room with one of 12 copies of the death mask of Stalin on view, taken shortly after his death and presented in a red velvet ring as if it were a holy relic.

Stalin’s death mask (photos: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

We now all left the main building and moved out, into the sunlight, towards a Greco-Italianate-style pavilion where, enshrined within, is a small wooden duplex hut where Stalin was born and spent his first four years. Stalin’s father Vissarion Jughashvili, a local shoemaker, rented the one room on the left hand side of the building and maintained a workshop in the basement. We all took a peek inside to see its sparse furnishings.

The Greco-Italianate-style pavilion housing Stalin’s boyhood home

Stalin’s boyhood home

The home’s sparse furnishings (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Finally, we moved on to check out Stalin’s personal green, Art Nouveau Pullman railway carriage, parked to one side of the Exposition Building. The former Tsar Nicolas II’s train, it was used by Stalin, from 1941 onwards, for his travel to Allied conferences in Tehran (Iran, November 28 – December 1, 1943), Yalta (Crimea, February 4 – 11, 1945) and Potsdam (Germany, July 17 – August 2, 1945). In 1985, upon being recovered from the railway yards at Rostov-on-Don, it was sent to the museum.

Stalin’s private railway carriage

Weighing 83 tons and armor-plated (a demonstration of Stalin’s acute sense of security), Stalin’s Air Force One still had surprising luxury (for that era) as he kept all the trappings of grandeur of his former enemy. The carriage had Stalin’s bedroom, his toilet, rooms for his aides, a kitchen and a conference room at its end.

Checking out Stalin's conference area (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Buddy, Pancho and the author checking out Stalin’s conference room (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Stalin is Georgia’s most famous though controversial son and, in a culture which reveres strong personalities, that counts for a lot in this small country. The Stalin State Museum, a time warp from Soviet Union times, was truly worth a visit.

Portrait of a sitting Stalin

Stalin State Museum: 32 Stalin Ave., Gori, Georgia. Tel: 995 270 7 52 15. Open daily except public holidays, 10 AM – 5 PM. Admission: 10 GEL per pax plus an additional 5 GEL per pax if you want to visit Stalin’s train wagon.

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles (Mtskheta, Georgia)

Posted on 29 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug

After making our way down the hill from Jvari Monastery, Buddy, Pancho, Melissa, Riva and I, with Georgian guide Sopho, proceeded on our GNTA-sponsored tour to Mtskheta town center, making a long stopover at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles, known as the burial site of Jesus Christ’s mantle. The biggest ecclesiastical construction in medieval Georgia, it is also the second largest church in Georgia (after the Tsiminda Sameba Cathedral in Tblisi). In Georgian sveti means “pillar” and tskhoveli means “life-giving” or “living.”

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

According to legend, St. Elias (or Elioz), a Georgian Jew from Mtskheta, brought Jesus Christ’s mantle to Georgia from Jerusalem, buying Jesus’ robe from a Roman soldier at the crucifixion site in Golgotha. His sister Sidonia touched the mantle and was so overcome by it that she immediately died in a passion of faith. Nobody was able to take away the mantle from her grasp and she was buried with it. Later, an enormous cedar tree later grew from Sidonia’s grave but people forgot the exact grave site.

In the 4th century, King Mirian decided to build the first church at Mtskheta and St. Nino ordered the cedar tree chopped down to build it. From the cedar tree she had seven columns made for the church foundations. However, the seventh column, designed to stand in its center, had magical properties and could not be raised from the ground as it rose by itself into the air. After an all-night prayer vigil by St Nino, the column miraculously moved of its own accord and returned to earth to the burial site of Sidonia and the robe. The seventh column subsequently worked many miracles.

The entrance gate

The cathedral is also the coronation and burial (10 are known to have been buried here, although only 6 tombs have been found, all before the altar) site of the kings of Georgia. The Svetitskhoveli complex includes the cathedral, the fragments of the palace and gates of the Catholicos Melchizedek I, all built in the 11^th century; and the 18^th century gates of Erekle II (Heraclius II) To enter, Sopho, Melissa and Riva had to cover their heads and wear a skirt. There were wrap-around skirts in a box near the door that could be worn over their trousers.

Sopho, Riva and Melissa in their wrap-around skirts

The cathedral, originally built as a wooden church during the reign of King Mirian III of Kartli (Iberia) in the 4th century, was replaced by a big 3-nave basilica built in the 480s by King Vakhtang Gorgasali. It has been damaged several times, notably by the invasions of Arabs (in the Abul Qasim raid, the church was used as a stable for camels), Seljuk Turks under Sultan Alp Arslan, the Persians under Shah Abbas I and Timur (also called Timurlaine) and, later, during the Russian subjugation and the Soviet period. The domed cathedral, an “inscribed cross” type of church, has a layout of an elongated rectangle and an ornamented facade with decorative arcading which unites the separate components of the structure.

Eastern facade

The present Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was rebuilt, from 1010 to 1029 (during the reign of King Giorgi I), by the architect Arsakidze, at the invitation of the Catholicos Melkisedek I of Georgia. Its cross-dome style of church architecture emerged in Georgia in the early Middle Ages and became the principle style after the political unification of Georgia by Bagrat III (978-1014). The church structure was intended to ensure good acoustics. Its dome, placed across all 4 sides of church was, over the centuries, reconstructed several times. It is supported by 4 lofty columns and contains 16 windows.

Sun emblem joined with a grave vine

Severely damaged by Timur (also called Timurlaine), it was rebuilt from 1413 to 1440 by King Aleksandre the Great who restored the western side of the cathedral and the collapsed cupola. In the 1837, on the occasion of a scheduled visit to Mskheta by Tsar Nicholas II (although in the end the tsar never came), more serious alterations took place when the richly ornamented galleries, narthexes, apses and subsidiary chapels on the north and south, from different periods, were ruthlessly swept away.

Painting of figures of the Zodiac

The interior, originally painted with frescoes, were whitewashed over and, only recently, after much careful restoration, some few remnants of the original paintings, including fragments of a 13th-century Beast of the Apocalypse and figures of the Zodiac, have been revealed again. The base of the basilica, built in the late 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali, after St. Nino’s original church, was found during the restoration of 1970-71 (presided over by V. Tsintsadze).

Exploring the cathedral’s defensive wall

The cathedral’s defensive wall, built in 1787 with stone and brick during the reign of King Erekle II (Heraclius), has a top storey, designed for military purposes, with gun emplacements. From the wall, the entrance to the cathedral is located to the south. Of the wall’s 8 towers: 6 are cylindrical and 2 are square. In 1963, archaeological expeditions, at the southern part of the wall, found the house of the 11th century atriarch. Within the church yard, the remains of the 2-storey castle of Patriarch Anton II were found.

One of 6 cylindrical towers along the defensive wall

Sandy yellow stone, with trimmings, was used for the cathedral’s construction, red stone around the apse window and green stone in the drum of the cupola (dating from the 17th century). The curved blind arcading, from the 11th century, is unaltered throughout.

Large figure of Jesus painted in the 19th century by a Russian artist

A large window occupies most of the church’s western top side. An original sculpture on the wall, showing a sitting Christ with two angels at his side, though restored several times (most recently in the 19th century), has not survived. A relief sculpture, on the external northern wall, shows the symbol of the stonemason (a right arm and hand holding a chisel).

The cathedral altar’s iconostasis (wall of icons and religious paintings)

The walls are decorated with many Christian Orthodox icons, the majority of which date to the 20th century while some are copies of older icons and frescoes from other churches throughout Georgia. Most of the originals are in the national museums of Georgia. At the altar is a large figure of Jesus painted in the 19th century by a Russian artist. As in many Georgian churches, stonework here feature carved grapes, a reflection of the country’s ancient wine-making tradition.

Bull’s head at the eastern facade

Two bulls’ heads, from the 5th-century church, were incorporated into the east façade, a testimony of the folk influence on Christian iconography in that early period. On the right side, from the entrance of the cathedral, is a stone baptismal font, dating from the 4th century, thought to have been used for the baptism of King Mirian and Queen Nana. Immediately behind it, on the north façade, is a reproduction of the relief of Arsukidze’s right hand and bevel.

A reproduction of the relief of Arsukidze’s right hand and bevel

Built into the cathedral, on the south side, is a small stone and square cupola chapel built between the end of the 13th and the beginning the 14th centuries. A symbolic replica of the Chapel of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, it was built at the site to mark Svetitskhoveli as the second most sacred place (thanks to Christ’s robe) in the world (after the church of Jerusalem).

A symbolic replica of the Chapel of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

In front of the chapel is the most westerly structure, aligned with the columns between the aisle and the nave that marks Sidonia’s grave. Remains of the original life-giving pillar are found preserved inside a tower supported by columns near the dome inside the cathedral. Built in the 17th century, scenes of the lives of King Mirian and Queen Nana, plus portraits of the first Christian Byzantine Emperor, Constantine I, and his mother Helena, were painted by G. Gulzhavarashvili. Traces of the 4th-century church’s foundations have also been found here.

Burial place of Sidona

The second structure, aligned with the columns of the southern aisle, was also built in the 17th century as the throne of Catholicos Diasamidze (it no longer serves this function, as current tradition requires a throne for the Georgian patriarch to be in the center of the church).

The throne of Catholicos Diasamidze

The tombs of king buried here include that of King Vakhtang Gorgasali (identified by his the small candle fortress standing before it), King Erekle II (identifiable by the sword and shield upon it) and, next to him, is marble tomb of his son George XII, the last king of Georgia. In front of the altar are the tombs of David VI, George VIII, Luarsab I as well as those of various members of the Bagrationi royal family, including Tamar, the first wife of George XI, whose epitaph, dating from 1684, is written both in Georgian (Asomtavruli) and Arabic script. Also buried here are Patriarchs Melkisedec I and Domenti II.

Tomb of Prince Konstantin Bagration-Mukhransky

Svetitshoveli Cathedral impressed me by its immensity and it is very magnificent, both inside and out. Of all the Georgian churches I saw, this was my favorite. It has a distinct air of history to it, being a silent witness to history of Christian Georgia for 17 centuries. Directly opposite the entrance is a tourist information office and (nominal fee). At the cathedral grounds are shops, souvenir stalls, cafes, cobblestone roads, granite sidewalks, parking lot and houses with red tile roofs.

The author at Tsiminda Sameba Cathedral

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral: Narekvavi-Mtskheta-Railway Station, Arsukidze, Mtskheta, Georgia. Open daily, 8 AM – 10 PM.

How to Get There: Mtskheta is located about 20 kms. from Tbilisi. Mini buses run regularly every day of the week between Tbilisi’s Didube market and the main street in Mtskheta.

The cathedral grounds with the tourist information office on the right

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website:www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is also a copy editor for two publishing houses; travel writer; blogger; architectural historian; author; concert. movie and musical reviewer (for www.pep.ph); and a motivational speaker.

As a free-lance travel writer, he has, in the past, contributed articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day and Bluprint. He currently writes for Artplus Magazine and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.