The town of Tskaltubo lies on the border between the Greater Caucasus and the Colchic Lowlands, in the Imereti region of Georgia. One of its most notable natural treasures is the Tskaltubo karst cave system, located just 5 kilometers from the town itself. Among these subterranean wonders, the most visited and best equipped for tourism is the Prometheus Cave—also known as Kumistavi.
The cave owes its mythic name to its proximity to Mount Khvamli, which, according to ancient legend, is the mountain to which Prometheus was chained as punishment by the gods. The distance from Tbilisi to the cave is approximately 240 kilometers, while from Kutaisi it’s a mere 30 kilometers. Kumistavi was discovered in 1984 during a speleological expedition. The tourist route within the Prometheus Cave extends slightly over 1.5 kilometers. Inside, the temperature of the air and water remains a steady 14°C (57°F), so travelers are advised to bring warm clothing when visiting this remarkable natural spectacle. The cave not only offers scenic underground walking tours, but also a chance to glide along its internal river by boat.
The depths of Kumistavi are home to a fascinating variety of subterranean fauna: bats, ground beetles, cave spiders, centipedes, crickets, and woodlice. However, what truly sets the Prometheus Cave apart are its dazzling mineral and crystal formations—stunning arrays of stalactites and stalagmites that have taken millennia to form. Alongside tourists and cave enthusiasts, people suffering from respiratory ailments also frequent the site, as the microclimate of the cave has been proven to possess therapeutic qualities.
The vision to turn Prometheus Cave into a full-fledged tourist attraction came to life in 2010 under the leadership of then-President Mikheil Saakashvili. Today, the cave offers immersive laser light shows, enhanced by atmospheric music and theatrical lighting. The interior and surrounding grounds of the cave were designed by a team of German designers. Among their contributions is a striking sculpture of a man fashioned from iron rods and filled with stones. This figure commemorates a local resident who, acting on his own initiative, guarded the cave from vandals for many years before it was formally protected.
From time immemorial, myths and legends have traversed the centuries, handed down from generation to generation—first through oral tradition and later preserved in written form. The strong cultural ties between Ancient Greece, the Caucasus, and the Scythian settlements gave rise to shared mythologies and characters that appear in both Greek and Caucasian lore.
One such figure is the legendary Prometheus. It is widely believed that the Greeks first encountered this myth in the Caucasus, where versions of the tale were told about Amirani (in Georgian), Abriskil (in Abkhaz), and Mgher (in Armenian)—heroic figures who defied the gods and were bound to the Caucasus Mountains as punishment for their compassion toward humankind. Amirani, in particular, is considered the likely inspiration for the Greek Prometheus.
While both myths share the central theme of defiance and punishment, there are subtle differences between them. In Greek mythology, Prometheus steals the sacred fire from Olympus and gives it to humanity. As punishment, he is chained to a rock, and each day an eagle arrives to devour his liver. The organ regenerates by night, only for the torment to begin anew the following day.
In the Caucasian version of the myth, Amirani and other titanic figures are not chained to the outside of mountains but locked inside them—in caves. Here too, an eagle arrives to tear at the hero’s liver. In the Georgian telling, Amirani has a loyal companion: a dog named Q’ursha. Day and night, Q’ursha tirelessly licks the iron chains that bind his master, hoping to set him free. But every time the dog nears success—when just one final link remains to be worn through—the gods send blacksmiths to reforge the chains, and the struggle begins anew.
From Tbilisi, travelers can reach Tskaltubo by minibus departing from the Didube Metro Station. Alternatively, one can take a bus or minibus to Kutaisi from the same station and continue the short 10-kilometer journey to Tskaltubo via taxi or local shuttle from the Kutaisi bus terminal.