The cave complex of Kvakhvreli

The cave complex of Kvakhvreli is located in Shida Kartli region, Gori Municipality, in the east of the village of Kvakhvreli, on the opposite side of the fortress-town Uplistsikhe, on the right bank of the river Mtkvari. The monument dates back to VII-IX centuries. In ancient times, it was the agricultural suburb of Uplistsikhe.

Architecture

The cave complex of Kvakhvreli carved into the cliff includes: the church curved into the rock, passageways, placements and a bell tower.

The bell tower stands on top of the entrance to the complex. It is later built of crushed stone and has the shape of an irregular rectangle. In the north wall there is an arched entrance to the bell tower, and in the transverse walls there is one rectangular window. The building is completed with a low, circular cylindrical throat dome and a dome with a conical roof. The square under the dome is transferred to the throat of the dome with a construction. Three small Kvevri are embedded in the walls of the arch.

The bell tower is connected to a dark corridor. This corridor is the main one and it is possible to get to the Kviratskhoveli Church from the entrance which is cut into the eastern wall. In addition to the main corridor, there are two more corridors in the cave. Kviratskhoveli Church has a semicircular apse to the east. The altar is 1 meter high from the floor of the hall and appears to have been separated by an iconostasis. At the site where the rock mass is opened, in the north part of the vault of the altar, there is a small rectangular window. The walls of the church are divided by arched niches. The temple has two rectangular doors. One, wide door, which is the main source of lighting for the hall, is cut in the middle niche of the north wall. The second door is in the eastern part of the south wall and runs through the second corridor.

The auxiliary stand is rectangular, with a small altar in the center. Directly at the entrance to the church is cut out a placement which has an almost circular drawing and is covered with a domed arch. The arch is complexly drawed and has an oval hole in the tip. In the western part of the placement there is a rectangular door leading to the open corridor.

Seventeen khachkars were later carved on the walls of the cave by the Armenian population (Khachkar is a medieval Armenian monument depicting a large cross embedded in a complex ornamental composition. It is spread throughout Armenia).

How to get there

The cave complex of Kvakhvreli is located in Shida Kartli region, Gori Municipality, near the village of Kvakhvreli, near the cemetery. The grund road goes to the cave complex.