Day 01
Mtskheta Monasteries and Uplistsikhe Rock-Hewn Town
- You will visit Mtskheta, the ancient capital of the Eastern Georgian Kingdom from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD. It was also the place where Christianity was proclaimed as the kingdom's official religion and continues to function as the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
- In Mtskheta, you will visit Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Samtavro Monastery, and Jvari Monastery. This 6th-century Georgian Orthodox monastery is built on a hill opposite Mtskheta, at the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers. The church is included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
- Uplistsikhe is an abandoned rock-hewn town that once played an important role in Georgian history. The site was founded in the Late Bronze Age, around 1000 BC, and continued to be inhabited until the 13th century AD. Between the 6th century BC and the 11th century AD, Uplistsikhe was the political and religious centre of pre-Christian Kartli.
