#Travel to Georgia

[planyourtrippyt]

Are you planning a trip to Georgia? Whether you're interested in the ancient wonders of Tbilisi or the pristine beauty of the Caucasus Mountains, Georgia will give you an unforgettable experience. So why wait? Start your adventure today and experience the magic of travel to Georgia!   Trip to Georgia

Plan a trip to Georgia

[expressions-of-nature]

Anudelauri Lakes, Georgia by Shota Galdava

[iko66]

Caucasus Mountains, Georgia

[573p5]

Tbilisi, Georgia - November 2023

[vintagecamping]

Author, Margaret Mitchell (Gone With The Wind) cooks breakfast while camping at Lake Burton in Rabun County.

Georgia

1937

[sourisverte]

Dahlonega, North Georgia.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

If you had a TARDIS for one day, where would you go?

David: I’d go to the first performance of Hamlet at the Globe Theatre and figure out if anyone thought it was any good back then.

Who deserves official national treasure status?

David: My wife. There’s nobody more extraordinary or able, capable, or wise. We’d all be up shit creek without a paddle without her.

[wandering-jana]

Thunderstorm in the distance.

Coastal Georgia

July 22, 2024

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Tbilisi, Georgia ‘24

[noseysilverfox]

August 2024

The view I rose for. As a "forest" resident, I want to say that I'm not used to seeing everything so small😸

Вид, ради которого поднималась. Как "лесной" житель хочу сказать, что не привыкла видеть все таким маленьким😸

Jagludzha Ridge, Rustavi city, Georgia

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Tbilisi, Georgia, August 2023

[creekfiend]

you think you're a regular guy and totally not one of those scary rural people from a horror movie and then a visiting friend is like "is someone else in the pasture, I hear talking" and you're like "oh nah, sound just travels weird in the holler" and you have to admit some things about yourself

[expressions-of-nature]

Gudauri, Caucasus Mountains in Georgia by Ilona Margalitadze

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Medieval Hermitage atop Katskhi Pillar, in Georgia (South Caucasus), c. 800-900 CE: this church was built during the Middle Ages; it sits atop a limestone column that has been venerated as a "Pillar of Life" for thousands of years

Known as Katskhi Pillar (or Katskhis Sveti), this enormous block of limestone is located in western Georgia, about 10km from the town of Chiatura.

The church that stands atop Katskhi Pillar was originally constructed during the 9th-10th century CE. It was long used as a hermitage for Stylites, who are sometimes referred to as "Pillar Saints" -- Christian ascetics who lived, prayed, and fasted atop pillars, often in total isolation, in an effort to bring themselves closer to God. This tradition originated in Syria during the 5th century CE, when a hermit known as Simeon the Elder purportedly climbed up onto a pillar and then stayed there for nearly 40 years, giving rise (no pun intended) to the Stylites. Stylitism managed to survive for about 1,000 years after its inception, but it gradually began to die out during the late Middle Ages, and by the end of the 16th century, it had essentially gone extinct.

Researchers don't really know how the monks originally gained access to the top of Katskhi Pillar, or how they were able to transport their building materials up to the top of the column. There's evidence that the Stylites were still living at Katskhi Pillar up until the 15th century, but the site was then abandoned shortly thereafter. This was the same period in which Georgia came under Ottoman rule, though it's unclear whether or not that may have played a role in the abandonment of the site.

The hermitage continued to lay abandoned for nearly 500 years after that. No one had been able to gain access to the top of the pillar, and very little was even known about the ruins that lay scattered at the top, as knowledge about the site's origin/history was gradually lost. There are many local legends that emerged as a way to fill in those blanks.

The site was not visited again until July 29th, 1944, when a mountaineer finally ascended to the top of the column with a small team of researchers, and the group performed the first archaeological survey of the ruins. They found that the structure included three hermit cells, a chapel, a wine cellar, and a small crypt; within the crypt lay a single set of human remains, likely belonging to one of the monks who had inhabited the site during the Middle Ages.

A metal ladder (the "stairway to Heaven") was ultimately installed into the side of the pillar, making it much easier for both researchers and tourists to gain access to these ruins.

The hermitage at the top of Katskhi Pillar actually became active again in the early 1990's, when a small group of monks attempted to revive the Stylite tradition. A Georgian Orthodox monk named Maxime Qavtaradze then lived alone at the top of Katskhi Pillar for almost 20 years, beginning in 1995 and ending with his death in 2014. He is now buried at the base of the pillar.

While the hermitage is no longer accessible to the public, and it is currently uninhabited, it's still visited by local monks, who regularly climb up to the church in order to pray. There is also an active monastery complex at the base of the pillar, where a temple known as the Church of the Simeon Stylites is located.

The Church of the Simeon Stylites: this church is located within an active monastery complex that has been built at the base of the pillar; several frescoes and religious icons decorate the walls of the church, and a small shrine containing a 6th century cross is located in the center

There are many lingering questions about the history of Katskhi Pillar, particularly during the pre-Christian era. There is at least some evidence suggesting that it was once the site of votive offerings to pagan deities, as a series of pre-Christian idols have been found buried in the areas that surround the pillar; according to local tradition, the pillar itself was once venerated by the pagan societies that inhabited the area, but it's difficult to determine the extent to which these claims may simply be part of the mythos that surrounds Katskhi Pillar, particularly given its mysterious reputation.

Sources & More Info:

BBC: Georgia's Daring, Death-Defying Pilgrimage

CNN: Katskhi Pillar, the Extraordinary Church where Daring Monks Climb Closer to God

Radio Free Europe: Georgian Monk Renews Tradition, Lives Atop Pillar

Architecture and Asceticism (Ch. 4): Stylitism as a Cultural Trend Between Syria and Georgia

Research Publication from the Georgian National Museum: Katskhi Pillar

Journal of Nomads: Katskhi Pillar, the Most Incredible Cliff Church in the World

Georgian Journal: Georgia's Katskhi Pillar Among World's 20 Wonderfully Serene and Secluded Places

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On the road from Yerevan to Tbilisi, May 2023

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Road trip from Georgia to the Rocky Mountains

1959