Uplistsikhe

Uplistsikhe

On the left bank of the river Mtkvari, 15 km east of the town of Gori, on a rocky massif there is the cave-town-fortress of Uplistsikhe. From the earliest times the fortress is mentioned in the chronicles. The history of Uplistsikhe goes back to the I-II millennium B.C. It was an important religious, political and cultural center during the Hellenistic and Late Antique periods. The town flourished in the 9th - 11th centuries, but was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century. The town was carved out of a flat, straight, but slightly sloping mountain. Down to the river ran an almost straight western wall. Two moats, one to the north and one to the east, also provided protection. The river blocked the entrance of the town from the south; however, one could enter the city through a three-meter-long tunnel, which served as a water supply. In case of an invasion, the tunnel was closed with a metal gate. Two of the three roads leading to the town were unprotected, but the third, coming from the north, was cut into the rock with walls as high as 10 meters. The complex Uplistsikhe can be divided into three parts: south, middle and north, with an area of about 8 hectares. There is a basilica from the 6th century. Most of it was cut into the rock, with the exception of the southern wall, which was built from the rock. A Christian Basilica built of stone and brick in the 9th and 10th centuries stands at the top of the complex. Numerous artifacts from different periods, such as gold, silver and bronze jewelry, ceramics and sculptures have been found during archaeological excavations. The National Museum in Tbilisi holds many of these artifacts.