Uplistsikhe
A city carved into the rock above the Mtkvari — Georgia's oldest urban centre, with over 3,000 years of history.
- Time needed
- 2 h
- From Tbilisi
- 100 km · 1:25
- Road
- Paved
- Car needed
- Economy class
- Season
- All year
- Entry
- ~25 ₾
Uplistsikhe was cut out of the rock rather than built on it. East of Gori, on the left bank of the Mtkvari, halls, streets, temples, wine presses and altars were hollowed by hand out of a soft sandstone massif. The town took shape in the first millennium BC and was inhabited from the early Iron Age into the Middle Ages — close to three thousand years of continuous life.
Before Christianity it was a major pagan cult centre. The name means "the lord's fortress", and that double sense, divine and royal, says a good deal about its standing. It sat on a branch of the Silk Road and its wealth came from trade. In the 13th century the Mongols destroyed the town, and it was gradually abandoned.
Around forty of the two hundred-odd caves are open today:
- The Hall of Queen Tamar, the largest space, with a coffered ceiling carved directly into the rock, probably a pagan temple originally
- A secret tunnel down to the river, used to fetch water during sieges
- A three-nave brick basilica from the 9th or 10th century crowning the site
- Wine presses and qvevri pits, some of the oldest winemaking traces in the country
From the top the Mtkvari valley and the Gori plain open out, and at sunset the rock turns orange.
Gallery
Practical advice
There is virtually no shade and the rock becomes an oven at midday, so in July and August come before ten in the morning or after five. The surfaces are smooth, polished stone that is dangerously slippery in rain, so wear shoes with grip. The stairs are steep and railings are intermittent, so keep an eye on children. Bring water. The ticket office, toilets and a small café are at the entrance, and hiring a guide on site is genuinely worth it here.
How to get there from Tbilisi
Leave Tbilisi westwards on the E60 motorway towards Gori — 85 km of fast, good road. Shortly before Gori take the signed Uplistsikhe turning and follow a narrow but asphalted road for a further 14 km over the Kvernaki ridge down to the riverbank. In total about 100 km and an hour and twenty-five minutes. There is a large free car park at the entrance. Fuel and shops are plentiful along the motorway and in Gori. An economy car is entirely sufficient in any season.
Click a marker for details. Coloured lines are ready-made road trips.
Nearby places
TownGori: Fortress and Stalin Museum
The capital of Shida Kartli — a medieval citadel on its hill and the most contested museum of the Soviet era.
MonasteryAteni Sioni Church
A 7th-century church in the Ateni gorge with outstanding 11th-century frescoes and historic vineyards.
MonasterySamtavisi Cathedral
A cathedral of 1030 near Kaspi — the benchmark of Georgian facade decoration, copied for two centuries afterwards.
Booking and enquiries
This site is informational — there is no online payment. Call or email us to book.