Distance from tbilisi to david gareji. Georgia: Kakheti, part 4 (monastery complex David Gareji - Lavra of St. David and Udabno monastery). The path to the monastery

The David-Gareja monastery complex combines several ancient buildings at once in the southeastern part of Georgia, right on the Azerbaijani border. The most popular local attractions with tourists are the Lavra of David and the Tetri-Udabno Monastery. Interesting not only the religious buildings themselves, but also the Gareja desert in which they are located. During the excursion, you arrive at once on the territory of two countries: Georgia and Azerbaijan. Popular historical sites are located near Tbilisi, so it is often visited by those who find themselves in the capital.

What is interesting to see

The complex stretches for as much as 25 km, it crosses the Gareja ridge, which is a border zone. The Georgian cave monastery includes 5,000 cells and unites 12 churches, some of which are perfectly preserved, and some are badly destroyed. It will not take a single day to get around all the objects. Usually tourists limit their sightseeing to the most interesting sights, they are "".

The main excursion objects of David Gareji in Georgia:

• Lavra of Saint David;

Foundation and development of the complex

The Davido-Gareji monastery was founded in the 6th century by Syrian monks. Saint David once planned to become an ascetic and settled with a disciple in the Gareja Desert. There, in a cave, they lived on pasture and reindeer milk. Later, David found followers, they made cells for themselves in sandstone rocks, not far from his dwelling. Saint Dodo founded the Dodo-Rka monastery, and Lucian the monastery of Natlismtsebeli.

One day in adulthood, Saint David went to Jerusalem. There he took three stones lying near the city walls and decided to bring them to the monastery of Gareja. But two of them were taken away by the templars, and only one was delivered to the place. A stone from the Holy Land was called to illuminate the monastery. Therefore, modern pilgrims believe that visiting these places is tantamount to a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Although the stone is no longer stored in Gareji, but in Tbilisi. People also believe that if you find a small stone on the territory and take it with you, troubles will pass by, and diseases will go away forever.

It is interesting! Why is David usually depicted in icons with a fleeing dragon? Like any ancient structure, the monastery complex in Georgia has overgrown with legends. So there is a legend about a dragon, which tells how a dragon was once discovered near a cave and was safely expelled. They say that the path along which the dragon fled in fear can be seen from the top above the cave of David. Tourists will be interested to check if this is so.

The monks who lived here more than once experienced the raids of enemies. In the 17th century, the attacking wars killed all the monks, and the monasteries were abandoned. They remembered about them only in the 70s of the 20th century. Medea Mizvrishvili, after visiting the David Monastery, ordered to build an asphalt road to it, which is still there today. Then several houses were built and electricity was supplied.

Excursions

Tourists usually see the sights of the "small circle": the Lavra of David and the Tetri-Udabno monastery. It takes 2-3 hours to get around these objects. You can visit them on your own, but it is better with an experienced guide. So an excursion with the popular guide George (Georgia) includes visits to the monastery of David, Bodbe, etc. You can come up with your own non-standard and most interesting route for you.

How to find objects yourself

Arriving at Davido Gareja Monastery Complex, tourists park their car in front of the Lavra. There is a shop nearby that sells souvenirs and monastery wine. The Lavra is located directly behind it, and if you turn right, you will find yourself on a 600-meter long road leading to the top of the ridge (30 minutes). There are red and green arrows on the route to keep tourists on track. The route goes counterclockwise. For those who decided to watch David Gareji in Georgia on their own, we advise you to read his story in advance, since there are no information stands here. It is also advisable to stock up on a map where all the interesting objects of the complex are marked.

Lavra

In the Lavra of David you can see stone turrets, monastic cells, interesting caves in the rock. The buildings are connected by many terraces and bridges. Part of the Lavra is occupied by a functioning monastery, tourists are not allowed into it. In the lower courtyard there is a small Transfiguration Church, in which you can see the tomb of St. David. The vaults of the church are painted with beautiful frescoes, and there are many ancient icons on the walls.

Eyewitnesses claim that from a height you can see how the monastery buildings of the Lavra form a huge cross. There are two small chapels on a hill not far from the monastery of St. David. If you go up to them, you will have a stunning view of the surroundings. The Lavra acquired its present appearance in the 9th century, when its construction was completed by Illarion Kartveli, who also built new churches here. Near the temple there is a spring "Tears of David", it was used by the first hermits, and today tourists quench their thirst with water from it.

Tetri-Udabno

Monastery Tetri-Udabno was founded by David's disciple Lucian in the 11-12 centuries. The path leads to him from the store. “Udabno” is translated from Georgian as “desert”. Each of its caves is decorated with frescoes and icons of the 12-14th centuries. It is a pity that many were spoiled by vandals. Among them are the works of local monastic artists. The Church of the Ascension is located in the village of Udabno.

Natlismtsebeli monastery

It is possible to get to this active monastery only by SUV. Therefore, tourists rarely visit it. To get here, you need to turn right 5 km before Lavra and drive about 4 km more. The monastic ensemble includes several rock cells, the Church of St. John the Baptist and a stone tower. You can get to it along the path, and to enter inside you need to go through a small cave. Inside it is darkness and bats live. Also interesting to visit are the cells of the monk Serapion, the saint to whom people pray for health, and small pools nearby.

Monastic buildings here began to be erected in the 6th century by one of the disciples of David St. Dodo. Later, a monastery and monks' cells carved into the rock appeared. To find yourself here, you need to drive or walk 3 km from the Lavra. Tourists will be curious about local frescoes, rock niches, entrance arches of cells, ancient wall and ceiling inscriptions in various languages. The guides say that the monks had their own blacksmith workshop, where they made tools for architecture.

Important! In David Gareji, you have to walk and climb a lot. This is the warmest place in Georgia, the heat is about 40 degrees. Therefore, it is better to go here in the morning or in the evening. Don't forget hats, sunglasses and drinking water supplies. Comfortable sports shoes will be very appropriate. There are many snakes in the spring, so be careful. It's usually cool in caves, so consider this when choosing clothes. Don't forget to bring your tourist card.

It is better to go on an excursion in warm and calm weather. Almost any time of year will suit, the landscapes around will be different, but always amazing. It is not recommended to go here in February, in wet, snowy and cold weather.

David Gareji Monastery Complex is a valuable museum of history and architecture. It amazes tourists with its grandeur and makes Georgians proud. The energy of this place is felt everywhere. The "Holy Land" annually attracts pilgrims from different countries. People come here to pray, ask for healing, rethink life values, and take stunning photographs against the backdrop of fantastically beautiful landscapes.

But good people said that a taxi costs 1 GEL per person, so we know the price. Having passed a little ahead, we found a parking lot, but alas, there was only one car, and there were one more passengers. What to do? Everyone should go, I do not mind moving, but that people need to go, we understand. We drove ourselves today because the driver agreed to take us.
The road is short, only half an hour, but it runs along a picturesque mountain serpentine. Around green landscapes, blue sky. Very nice.

The driver says the word - Alazani Valley. And I did not associate this phrase with nature, it was remembered by others))). So there are places here that will remind me of my youth.
At the same time, we ask if there are any inexpensive housing, because they warned that this is an expensive tourist city. The taxi driver promises to take us to a good place with a view and does not cheat. There is a house right next to the church. When I saw the balcony, I realized that the place was right. And the price turned out to be reasonable. 40 GEL. It was so cheap only in Guba.

The hostess immediately asked to pay in order to give the kickback to the taxi driver 10. I can't believe it, of course, she probably wanted to show that she takes a little. But the place is good, they immediately treated us to wine, grapes and tea with dogwood jam. There is a kitchen and an Internet computer. A real homestay. And the view from the balcony is something. A magnificent valley with a fortress wall opens before your eyes. It's a miracle, especially on a fine summer day.
We think about our plans for a long time, and in the end we decide that we just need to walk around the city to see what and how.
There are many tourists on the streets. For some reason, not like in Azerbaijan. It is underestimated, it's good that we have been at such a good time, as long as there are no crowds there, although objectively it was necessary to allocate more time for it and look more attentively.
The sun is shining outside, a beautiful church is nearby, and grapes grow everywhere. As they say, his smell is in the air, and I managed to feel it a couple of times. A magnificent panorama opens from the church, by the way, from other places too. My favorite shades of green, vast expanses. Very super.

It can be seen that the place is tourist. And already there are dogs, although earlier there were mainly cats. Persimmon grows on the trees, and there is some reconstruction. New hotels will be opening soon. Well, this is the fate of many tourist cities. Nevertheless, the surroundings are pleasant, cobbled streets, cheerful balconies, inscriptions in Georgian. There are also Kamaz trucks with 5 people in the front seat.

There are many tourists who speak different languages, but most often I heard Ukrainian. Apparently it is not for nothing that Aerosvit flyers fly cheaply in Tbilisi.
Found another little church. Of course, as always in such places there is a friend with a bank, where he offers to put money at the entrance. Where is the ticket? - we say cunning. No ticket - put your money. No, no, mine is not yours to understand. The view is gorgeous again. Such green fields around. Sumptuously. You can also rent binoculars. But this is from the evil one.

It's time to eat. The hostess recommended Nikola restaurant. There seem to be the best hinkakli. Only 60 kopecks and voila. It turned out to be really tasty. True, a flexible rollback system continues to work here. The hostess asked to say that we are from her.
Until the topic of wine is disclosed, we continue to miss our beloved Ivanovka. Here in the land of wines, for some reason, the price tag is inhumane. So they drank homemade for the arrival. Of course, it is better than that nightmare in Sheki, but worse than Ivanovka. She remembered again. The dogs felt that I would not refuse them and begged for a piece of khinkali. I'll improve my karma a little more. I wanted to drink wine at home with a panorama and relaxation, but in stores the price tag is also from 5 euros. Not humane.
Let's drink tea.

They promised super night illumination, but in some places it is of some kind of luminescent colors, not authentic.
But green urns look authentic every 5 meters. Nevertheless, the town is pretty. Especially in this weather. The Ukrainians we met for some reason made an appointment for us at 23-30. Why at a time like this? We refuse. We must spend a day of rest. By the way, the time here is one hour less than Azerbaijan, so you can sleep longer, walk more - everything is fine. I still like everything. If not for the memories of the waitress from Kakha, it would have been wonderful. But I think this lanky horseradish will remain in my memory for a long time. True, I will remember him not with irritation, but with a smile. He gave us so much laughter. And I always knew that alcohol shortens life, and laughter increases, that's what this wine country will do. So thank you for helping me out the effects of the divine drink.

At home we will learn what and how we should do. It seems that the best choice is to first go to David Gareja, then to Nino monastery, spend the night here. For here we know exactly what and how, there is everything you need, a very pleasant house, and the price is good. So we will make a radiclock, and then the next day we will carry out our march to Batumi.
Moreover, as a bonus - a friendly hostess who speaks chic Russian, the absence of other guests and cats.

The morning started early as always. A quick breakfast, enjoying the panoramic view and preparing for the trip to the monastery. Vano takes us to the bus station, where we see a packed minibus. It's a strange system. You come sooner or later, there are no more places anyway, because everyone has ordered everything. We decided to try and order 3 places in Tbilisi for tomorrow. There are no places, but we were promised another minibus. It worked out well. As a neighbor I got a respectable grandmother with a chicken, which she carefully gave water to. This neighborhood is better than indistinct foreigners.

Some terrible mosquito bit me in the eye, and I became like a girl with a black eye). Killer mosquitoes love me. We somehow got into the minibus. On the way, they were worried about whether there would be seating places, to which Masha rightly remarked - why did we ever ride while sitting?
But we got the seats unexpectedly. You have to get to Sagarejo for 5 GEL, and from there take a taxi to the monastery itself.

I really liked the minibus. Sometimes there is a feeling that something new and bright is happening. You are driving, new landscapes, cities, people are flashing outside the window, different music is playing, and you are sitting and looking out the window. The surrounding world changes, and you also change with it. At such a moment, sometimes there is a sense of something real. Way, movement, road - it should be clear to us travelers. Therefore, I did not want to get out of the minibus, I would have gone and I went. This is not always the case, but for me this feeling is very dear. At such moments, you realize that you do not regret what your life is like. After all, even in this simple moment there is so much of everything personal and deep that you cannot even think of, that you can think about and realize in a simple minibus. You understand that you are alive, and this is valuable.
According to rumors, it should cost 30 GEL. But taxi drivers are not fools - they offer 40 and 50 and somehow do not really understand Russian. From time to time they switch to English, which ends with a question - do you speak English. They don't know further. We decided to use the “queen move” method - just take and move forward, someone will pick us up. Fortunately, it worked, because the road to the monastery was very deserted, machineless, and most importantly long. We agreed for 30 GEL. And there will be two more girls with you - isn't it scary? No, not scary, we are used to being in cramped conditions.

Finally we fit in and set off. Of course, the car was strange - girls without teeth with tattoos and wigs, a loud chanson that did not fit into the surrounding landscape. And most importantly, speed - he was driving 10 kilometers per hour, probably. At the moment when it seemed that it was impossible to go slower, it turned out that it was still possible).
But what a landscape - beauty, colorful hills, funny cows, amazing sky. Very picturesque. We managed to cover these few kilometers in over an hour. We didn’t believe we would get there, but we got there. On the way, the driver diluted some kind of powder in a phantom. True, we must give them their due, the chanson was sometimes changed for girlish hits - like Maxim and the old 80s. But nature is magical. I was also pleasantly pleased with the approach to the Azerbaijani border. It's my favorite country now).

And here we are in the monastery - we have 2 hours of time. The monastery itself is beautiful, cells are carved into the rocks, a very beautiful view. But first we need to climb the mountain bordering Azerbaijan. The climb is steep and difficult in places. It's hot. But the view from above is generally amazing. Bakusel sent me an SMS saying that he welcomes me to Azerbaijan. What nostalgia. Eagles fly nearby, people say that they usually don't fly so close, but we were lucky. From the mountain you can see frontier posts, mountains, plains, lakes. And in the rocks themselves, frescoes have been preserved.

The heat does not interrupt this delight from what he saw. Finally we got to the border booths. The first Georgian border guard did not pay attention to us, and the second Azeri was so kind, offered to eat, appreciated my Azeri vocabulary and, in general, they met a kindred spirit.

The descent was difficult, but we coped with it. Masha, as a noble lover of heights, was waiting for us below, so that only Olya and I saw another piece of Azerbaijan.

Now a little time to explore the monastery itself. Everything looks interesting, but against the background of a clear sky, in general, beauty. I can't even believe that sometimes there is snow,

We had only one hope that the driver would want to take us to the place as soon as possible, so that he could have fun with the girls earned, but it did not come true. We drove just as slowly. Of course, the girl alone suggested that if we needed, she would take us to Sighnaghi or Tbilisi. It's scary to imagine how much we would drive. He saved gasoline, apparently, moved down the mountain according to the laws of physics.

And here we are again on the track. I liked the monastery very much. Such an amazing combination of nature, weather, colors and rock architecture. Well, nostalgia.
Now we need to get to the monastery of St. Nino.
If you swim there in the spring, you won't get sick for a year. Suitable. At home, wine is important.
There are no minibuses, taxi drivers offer inhumane prices, there were also a couple from Estonia. And suddenly the driver appeared. Like I'll give you a lift.
How much it costs?
Well, you can't build a house on them all early? So what do you think?
Well, we think 5.
Okay.
It seems that a couple of Estonians are not yet accustomed to the Caucasian transport, how can we get into the car five of us. Yes, there are no problems at all).
We talked with the driver, here somehow the people are talkative. They talk a lot in monologue mode. We discussed plans with my uncle, he advised someone who would settle us in Kobuleti inexpensively. It suits us inexpensively. He offered to take us to the monastery at the same time, we planned to walk 3 km on foot. But it will take you well.

I also have the phone number of comrade in Kobuleti. At the same time I wanted to adjust the wine to us - they say, how many liters to bring you. I kind of drink three at lunch. Well, we're girls)).
Red here, everyone says, increases the pressure. I hope I have a downgrade.
Everything in the monastery was already closed. But we managed to get to the little church and the source, to which we have to go 800 metro downward. Most of them have already been made in the form of steps, and some have remained authentic mud. There you can get tasty water and take a dip. You can buy a shirt or you can take it and leave it for free. Masha and I decided not to get sick all year, so we plunged in. The water is not so cold, but not fresh milk either. 3 times with your head - the main thing is fast!

All the work for today is completed, we return upstairs and meet another talkative. And speaks, and speaks….
Still, so far people hate me much less than in Azerbaijan. Like, apparently tourism has spoiled the situation a little. Everything there is somehow more honest, sincere, open. This is also good, but not so. Well, laughter is an important indicator for me. If in Azer we laughed 24 hours a day, here we began to laugh less often. And the word "yes" is spoken less often here, mostly ara-ara.
The road to Sighnaghi took half an hour. A beautiful view of the village opens from the road, and the entire Alazani valley.

Our friend today meets us at the entrance to the city. How will you call my friend in Batumi if there is no SIM card?
Well I'll send SMS. No, here's your sim card - it has money on it.
Inconvenient, but he insisted. Well, it may come in handy. Rather, it will definitely come in handy).
We were invited to dinner at the same time, but we are anti-social. Therefore, we go to eat ourselves. Again yesterday's place Nikola and our familiar dogs. A new hairy friend was added.
Khinkali are delicious today, and homemade wine tastes better today. We enjoy dinner after a hard day. Later it turned out that these are really the most delicious khinkali in the whole of Georgia.

There is one problem with wine - its topic has not been disclosed. Ivanovka in Azerbaijan was easier, closer and more accessible. And here in the store there is only expensive 10 GEL, then we will not taste anything. But here everything is going well as always, and our talkative interlocutor is from the monastery. We meet again on the way.
Where to buy wine? - oh, I'll show you.
The lame hairy dog \u200b\u200bis following us. And the dude keeps chatting about how much he loves people. At the same time, he kicks the hairy one and drives him away. I didn't like it. He's my dost!

We missed Azerbaijan. And it's strange - we thought that we were starting with the most uninteresting country, but here's how it turned out.
Wine is offered 5 per liter of white and 10 per liter of red. Olya was put forward to draw a match. The result is red. Well, good)
And at home, Vano brought in a white one. The ice was straight, thawing gradually. The wine smelled gorgeous and flowed wonderfully.
We are leaving this town tomorrow. He is, of course, touristy, but still nice and cute. So much greenery and such a view of the city from the road. There are also many unusual sculptures in the city. It turned out to be a bit hard with the suitors here, repair workers and people from Kamaz, where 5 people fit in the front seat, were interested in us.
Places in the minibus are booked, the laundry is done. You can go with a clear conscience. I liked the family, Vano is generally great. True, we got a little confused when a friend called us with a sim card, one of us is Katya, someone is Masha, but we coped with this situation with honor.

👁 Do we book the hotel as always on the booking? In the world, not only Booking exists (🙈 for a horse percentage from hotels - we pay!) I have been practicing Rumguru for a long time, it is really more profitable than Booking.

👁 Do you know? 🐒 This is the evolution of city tours. The VIP guide is a city dweller, will show the most unusual places and tell urban legends, tried it, it's fire 🚀! Prices from 600 rubles. - will definitely please 🤑

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The address: Rustavi-Jandara 12th km.-David Gareji Monastery, Georgia

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The foundations of the monastery complex were laid in the first half of the 6th century by the Assyrian monk David. Together with his disciple, he settled in a small cave in the middle of the Gareji desert and soon founded the first monastery there - the Lavra of David. Over time, the old hermit had followers, and after several centuries there were about 12 cave monasteries in the complex. On their territory, churches and refectories were built, and monks lived in cells carved into sandstone rocks.

A functioning temple in the Natlismtsebeli monastery

The activities of the monasteries of David Gareji strongly influenced the religious and cultural life of the Georgian people. In the XII-XIII centuries, a school of monastic life and construction, as well as a school of fresco painting, was organized on the territory of the complex.

During the period of their existence, the monasteries were repeatedly subjected to enemy attacks and devastation, but over time they were restored and continued to perform their functions until the end of the 19th century.

The reconstruction of the religious monument was carried out in the second half of the 20th century under the leadership of the head of Kakheti Medea Mizvrishvili. During the restoration work, an asphalt road was laid to the monastery, several houses were built in the vicinity and electricity was supplied.

Currently, David-Gareji occupies a special place in Georgian history and is one of the main attractions of Georgia along with Uplistsikhe and. And in two of the 20 caves there are still functioning monasteries.

Some of the monasteries are located on the territory of Azerbaijan and are called Keshikchidag (Azeri Keşiş dağ). Since 2007, the Keshikchidag cave complex has received the status of a state historical and cultural reserve of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Caves from the Azerbaijani side

Excursions to David Gareji

The monastic complex of David-Gareji occupies a large territory and it will take many days to get around all the caves. Therefore, there are 4 main groups: Lavra of David, Tetri-Udabno monastery, Natlismtsebeli monastery and Dodo-Rka cave. Tourists usually pass the so-called "small circle", which includes the Lavra of David and the Tetri-Udabno monastery; this route can be completed in 2-3 hours.

On the territory of the Lavra of St. David, you can see beautiful turrets, small caves and cells carved into the rock.

In the 1990s, a monastery was reopened in the Lavra, and now a small group of monks lives and serves there, but it is not allowed to enter there. In the lower courtyard of the Lavra, to the right of the altar of the Church of the Transfiguration, rest the relics of St. David.

There is a trail from the monastery that leads to the abandoned Tetri-Udabno monastery. The caves of this monastery are painted with frescoes of the 9th-14th centuries with Christian subjects and scenes from the life of St. David.

Tetri-Udabno monastery refectory

How to get there

The David-Gareji complex is located in the east of Georgia in the Sagarejoi municipality of the Kakheti region.

You can get here from the nearest cities of Rustavi (30 km) and Tbilisi (60 km) by taxi, sightseeing bus, own car or hitchhiking. Tourists can also take a bus to the village, which is located 13 km from the monastery complex, and book an excursion to David Gareji there.

Useful information

• The Gareja Desert is the hottest and most difficult place to live in Georgia.
• It is believed that 3 visits to the David Gareji Monastery are equal to a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
• It is recommended to take water and food with you, there is nowhere to buy it.
• There is a parking lot in front of the David Lavra.
• On the territory of the Lavra there is a shop where you can buy icons, church books, postcards and monastery red wine.
• When climbing to the top of the ridge, you can walk along the path along which the line of the state border of Georgia and Azerbaijan passes.
• The Gareja Desert is famous not only for its monasteries, but also for its beautiful striped-colored hills.
• In the spring, there are many snakes in the vicinity, so it is better to take closed shoes and not climb the dark caves.

Monastery complex David-Gareji on the map of Udabno

The address: Rustavi-Jandara 12th km.-David Gareji Monastery, Georgia

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David-Gareji (Georgian დავითგარეჯა) is a complex of cave monasteries of the 6th century, scattered over a 25 km stretch along the Georgian-Azerbaijani border.

History of David-Gareja Monastery

The foundations of the monastery complex were laid back in ne ... "/\u003e

One of the most important sights of Georgia is located near Tbilisi, on the Georgian-Azerbaijani border. The monastic complex of David-Gareja is a large territory where cave monasteries are located. Historically, part of the complex is located in Azerbaijan today.

Although the place is often called the Davido-Gareja Monastery, there are about 20 monasteries here, as well as more than 100 caves, where there were monastic cells. On the border between the two countries, there is the main shrine of David Gareji - the Lavra of St. David. In total, there are 4 main complexes in the Gareji Desert - the Davido-Gareja Monastery, the Tetri-Udabno and Natlismtsebeli monasteries, and the Dodo-Rka caves. In addition to them, Bertubani and Saberebi monasteries are often visited.

From a historical point of view, the most valuable exhibits are the numerous inscriptions on the walls of the monasteries of the Gareja Desert. Here you can see texts in Georgian, Armenian, Arabic, Greek. There are more than 40 such inscriptions in the David-Gareji complex. Of particular interest are the lines accompanying the wall paintings in the Saberebi Church.

History of the monastery

The emergence of the David-Gareja Monastery is dated back to the 6th century. It is believed that one of the Syrian monks - David - settled in the Gareja desert after a conflict with the Zoroastrians. Before that, the saint lived on Mtatsminda. In the wilderness, David and his disciple Lucian lived in a cave. A legend is connected with this period of the saint's life, which says that David expelled the dragon from the desert. Scientists believe that we are talking about a giant snake (gyurza), which actually lived in these lands. Gradually, pilgrims came to the desert, who became disciples of David and stayed here to live. This is how numerous caves appeared, forming whole complexes.

David Gareja Monastery fell into decay after its destruction in 1625. Shah Abbas destroyed most of the buildings and killed all the monks. The revival of the complex began with the territorial conflict between Georgia and Azerbaijan, which has not yet been resolved. The Georgian government offered to exchange these lands for others, so that the sacred territories would be completely transferred to Georgia. However, Azerbaijan did not agree to such a deal. The complex of caves located in this country is called the Keshikchidag reserve.

Lavra of St. David

This object is considered to be the oldest building in the complex. Today, part of the lavra is a functioning monastery, closed to tourists. In addition to him, there is the Transfiguration Church on the territory, where you can see the grave of David. Earlier, in this temple was kept a sacred stone, which was brought by David from Jerusalem. Today this relic has been transferred to the Patriarchate. Also in the Davido-Gareja Monastery, caves, part of residential buildings and towers have been preserved.

Other desert complexes

It is impossible to visit all the monasteries in one day. It is not only a matter of division by the state border, but also of large distances between the complexes. Most often, tourists see the sights of the desert in a "small circle" (from 2 to 4 hours). It includes the David-Gareja Monastery and the Tetri-Udabno complex.

Before Tetri-Udabno you need to go south for about a kilometer. Here, in addition to the temple, you will see unique caves with partially preserved frescoes. There are two more complexes from the Georgian side - Natlismtsebeli and Saberebi... To visit the first of them, you must obtain a permit for inspection, since this is a functioning monastery. It is located a few kilometers from the Lavra of St. David. You can reach it only by off-road vehicle, since there is no normal road here. The main attractions of Natlismtsebeli are a complex of caves, a stone tower and the cave temple of John the Baptist. A dirt road leads to the Saberebi monastery. From the village of Udabno you will have to drive almost 15 kilometers to the east.

From the Azerbaijani side, the largest complex is considered Bertubani.

How to get there

The distance from Tbilisi to David-Gareja Monastery is almost 100 kilometers. Most often, tourists get here by car or as part of an excursion tour.

It is much more difficult to get to public transport. Minibuses to Gareja do not run regularly. A more convenient option is to take a bus to Sagarejo and take a taxi (the cost of the trip will be about 35 GEL there and back).

To call a taxi, use the Yandex. Taxi. You can get to the village of Udabno (13 kilometers from the complex) by transfer from KiwiTaxi.

Search for transfers to the city of David-Gareja Udabno

Show transfers from the city of David-Gareja Udabno

For an independent trip, you will need the coordinates of the David-Gareja Monastery - 41 ° 26'50.50 "N 45 ° 22'36.27" E. It is also worth considering that snakes and lizards are found in the desert, so when getting out of the car, be careful. You can leave your car in the parking lot near the Lavra of St. David.

Road route from Tbilisi to the monastery complex:

David-Gareja Monastery Complex: Aerial Photography

The monastery complex of St. David Gareja is considered to be highly revered on the territory of Georgia. Its territory is huge and stretches for many kilometers. It is located in the southeastern part of Georgia, practically on the very border with the state of Azerbaijan, and some of this complex is even located in the disputed territories between these two countries. Georgia constantly offers to make an exchange of territories, but the Azerbaijani government regularly rejects all requests.

The monastery complex of David Gareja includes a fairly large number of very ancient monasteries, and some of them date back to the time of construction between the 6th and 14th centuries. In fact, the Davido-Gareja Georgian monastery complex on the Gareja Ridge is more than 25 kilometers long. This is a huge rocky plateau in an almost completely deserted area. Obviously, such a place was specially chosen by the monks for their asceticism.

The Lavra of St. David is especially venerated in the complex. In fact, these are monks' cells, carved right into the rock. At first glance at this dense rock, one can only wonder what efforts this titanic work cost the first inhabitants of the monastery. By the way, from a bird's eye view, you can see that the Lavra, as it were, forms a huge cross in the rocks.

In the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which is located on the territory of the Lavra, the relics of the founder of the monastery, St. David of Gareja, rest. Even on the territory of the monastery, you can see the only spring in the entire district, since for many kilometers around there is no water anywhere at all. However, the ancient monks used water not only from this source. On closer inspection, you can see the grooves in the rocks. During the rain, water flowed down them, which the monks carefully collected in special reservoirs.

One of the disciples of Saint David of Gareja, also Saint Dodo, as well as his teacher, became famous for many deeds. For example, he founded a monastery called Dodos Rka. And another follower of Saint David, Lucian, founded the Natlismtsemel monastery. During the Turkish invasion, many Orthodox churches were destroyed, but already in the period from XI to XII, the monasteries of Udabno, Chichkhituri and Bertubani were erected here. Unfortunately, they are partially located on the territory of neighboring Azerbaijan.

Today, the Davido-Garendzhi monastery complex is an active monastery, highly revered not only in Georgia, but throughout the entire Orthodox world. In its many temples, vestries and refectories, as well as in other buildings, one can see ancient frescoes depicting St. George, Queen Tamara and scenes from Scripture.

The monastery complex is located 60 kilometers from Tbilisi, first you will need to get to Rustavi or to Gardabani, and then take a taxi.