Upper Vardzia Cave Complex

The Upper Vardzia cave complex is located in Samtskhe-Javakheti, in the territory of the Aspindza municipality.

On the left side of the mountain slope leading to Upper Vardzia, there are caves arranged in two tiers. The caves are chambers carved out on one axis, in some cases connecting to each other. Today, the first tier consists of 4 isolated spaces, which in turn are divided into separate small rooms from the inside. Traces of rock cutting and processing are clearly visible in each cave. Shelves of various sizes, shapes, purposes and numbers are carved into the walls of the caves. The largest of them is the second cave located on the first tier on the south-north axis. This cave consists of two internal spaces. In the central part of the first room, 4 pitchers of different sizes were placed next to each other, which have now been removed and damaged. Pitcher nests can be seen in the ground, and in some cases the bases remain in the limestone. In the wall cut into the rock separating the first and second spaces, there are 2 shelves carved parallel to each other. An opening leading to the inner room is cut on both sides of the wall, which was closed by a massive stone door. The stone door and the stone frame of the door are nearby. It is worth noting that several steps cut into the rock from the cave lead down to a tunnel, which passes under both of the rooms described above and also rises outside the caves by a step ladder cut into the rock. It is possible to climb to the spaces located on the second level from the cave located on the northernmost part of the first level. Where there are two rooms. Small shelves are carved in one of them. The caves were recently used as cattle stables and had a front space built with a structure of flattened stone and wood. Today, the mentioned structure has been removed and the cave system is completely readable. The caves were also used in later periods. Nests cut into the floor for a barn are recorded in the internal spaces. Also, shelves cut along the entire length of the rock have in some cases been converted and used as cattle beds. Recently, archaeological layers have been damaged during arbitrary cleaning works. Pitchers have been removed from the ground and their fragments have been placed in the cave. The mentioned cave complex is quite well preserved as a whole and represents one of the interesting, unique examples of rock-cut secular architecture common in the region. It is necessary to ensure the protection of the cave system of the cave complex with the status of a monument in order to protect it from arbitrary works in the future.