Uplistsikhe rock-cut town near Gori: how to get there

Uplistsikhe is an ancient rock-cut town in eastern Georgia and one of the oldest urban centres in the Caucasus: the earliest traces here date to the end of the 2nd millennium BC. The town is carved into the cliffs on the left bank of the Mtkvari and includes structures from the Iron Age to the late Middle Ages. After the Mongol raids of the 14th century, Uplistsikhe was all but abandoned.

What makes the town interesting

Uplistsikhe spreads over roughly 8 hectares of streets, halls and dwellings cut into the rock. Its inhabitants saw to their water supply in advance in case of a siege: a secret tunnel about three metres high led from the town down to the Mtkvari, bringing water up to the rock.

General view of Uplistsikhe with the church on top and the valley — The rock-cut town, with its many carved rooms, the church on top and the valley behind. Photo: Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Among the rooms cut into the rock, the large ceremonial halls stand out. One of the most famous is a spacious hall with a surviving support column, traditionally associated with the name of Queen Tamar.

Large arched hall of Uplistsikhe with steps cut into the rock — A large hall beneath a rock vault, with steps leading deeper into the complex. Photo: Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hall of Uplistsikhe with a column carved out of the rock — A spacious hall with a support column - the so-called Hall of Queen Tamar. Photo: Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The latest of the major structures stands on the summit - a stone-and-brick basilica of the 9th-10th centuries that grew up over the older cave core of the town. The complex declined with the Mongol raids of the 13th-14th centuries, after which life here never returned to its former scale.

Interior of a rock-cut hall with arched niches — Inside one of the halls: arched niches and openings cut straight into the rock. Photo: Moreau.henri / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

How to get there

The rock-cut town is about 10 km east of Gori in the Shida Kartli region. People reach it from Gori by car or taxi, and at the site there’s just a short climb up to the rock with its carved rooms.

Nearby

Uplistsikhe is one of the guide’s two main cave towns, alongside Vardzia in the south of the country. Uplistsikhe is easy to combine with Gori and Mtskheta - there’s a ready-made plan in the Mtskheta - Uplistsikhe - Gori day trip, and the neighbouring town has its own Gori guide. More places are gathered in the things to see section.

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