Vardzia as seen from the bell tower

Cave City of Vardzia is a hidden monastery dug into the side of the Erusheli mountain in south Georgia near Aspindza. It was founded by Queen Tamar in 1185. Tamar of Georgia Tamar (1160-1213), from the House of Bagrationi, was Queen of the Kingdom of Georgia from 1184 to 1213. ... Events April 25 - Genpei War - Sea Battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ...

The monastery consisted of over six thousand apartments created as protection from Mongols into the hidden thirteen floors high complex. The city included a church, throne room, and a complex irrigation system watering terraced farmlands. Only access to the complex was through some well hidden tunnels near the Mtkvari river. The Mongols are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China, particularly Inner Mongolia. ... Kura (Georgian Mtkvari, Azerbaijani Kür) is a river in the Caucasus Mountains. ...

An earthquake in Samtskhe destroyed approximately two thirds of the city in 1283, exposing the caves to outside view and collapsing the irrigation system. Global earthquake epicenters, 1963–1998 An earthquake is a sudden and sometimes catastrophic movement of a part of the Earths surface. ... Events June 1 - Treaty of Rheinfelden - Duke Rudolph II of Austria has to waive his right to the Duchies of Austria and Styria Teutonic Knights subjugate Prussia Sopot comes under the control of Gdańsk Gregory Cyprius becomes Patriarch of Constantinople Northern section of the Grand Canal of China is completed...

The church was reinforced and an externally visible bell tower added during the reign of Bektha Jakheli in the thirteenth century.

Persians commanded by Shah-Tamaz raided the monastery in 1551, capturing all important icons and effectively ending the life of the monastery. The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some ) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (named Farsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Events Russia, Reforming Synod of the metropolite Macaire, Orthodoxy: introduction of a calendar of the saints and an ecclesiastical law code ( Stoglav ) Major outbreak of the sweating sickness in England. ...

Vardzia now

In the modern days Vardzia is a major tourist attraction in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia. The place is maintained by a small group of monks and can be visited for a small fee. Marshrutkas go to Vardzia daily from the city of Akhaltsikhe. Samtskhe-Javakheti is a region in southern Georgia, whith Akhaltsikhe as its capital. ... Marshrutka (Russian: ; short for маршрутное такси (routed taxicab)) is a CIS minibus taxi. ... Akhaltsikhe(old name - Lomsia) is a small city in southwestern Georgia. ...

About three hundred apartments and halls remain visitable, and in some tunnels the old irrigation pipes still bring drinkable water.

See also

• Culture of Georgia
• Vanis kvabebi cave fortress