What to see in Vardzia

To reach Vardzia from the highway, you must cross the Kura Bridge. On the right, a mountainous cliff stretches for a kilometer, riddled with caves. The main caves are located at the far end. Vardzia somewhat resembles Uplistsikhe, but it is more vertical and somewhat recessed into the rock; here, you need to walk up and down, occasionally descending into the underground chambers. Speleologists will feel at home here, but for those unaccustomed, it can be quite eerie.

On the grounds of Vardzia, there is an active monastery, and entry is restricted. Besides the monastery, there are functioning churches with frescoes. Vardzia has a total of 15 churches, with the largest being the Assumption Church and the Ananuri Church. Today, the entire complex is well-maintained, equipped with fences, ladders, and even electric lighting. There’s even a spring at one point—water you can drink.

Vardzia is a paid site, with an entry fee of just 3 lari (2 lari for groups of 10 or more). For an additional 6 dollars, you can hire a guide—something that is said to be worth it.

Tickets are sold at the reception down below. From there, a trail begins leading up. On the left, you can see a few secondary grottos. The path leads to a small tower, which serves as a kind of ceremonial entrance. Vardzia officially begins just behind this little tower.

This tower is a bell tower. It had two floors, but the upper one has not survived. This bell tower did not exist during the time of Queen Tamar, nor were free-standing bell towers a norm until the very end of the 13th century.

From the bell tower, visitors usually head towards the central church. It is built within a large grotto, and behind it, deep within the rock, is a large open space, where a second small church has been constructed.

The church is the symbolic heart of Vardzia and chronologically marks the place where everything began. It was from here that the caves later spread out in all directions. “In the center of the fortress, they carved a space ten cubits high,” wrote Rumi after the 1551 invasion, “and they arranged a church with four spacious rooms and a long vestibule. The walls were painted inside and out with gold, azure, and idols’ faces. In the second room, they set up an altar and placed a golden icon, adorned with precious stones. Instead of both eyes, they inserted two shining jewels into this lifeless figure.”

Today, the church is somewhat embedded deep within the rock, with only the arches of the vestibule visible from the outside. This vestibule was once larger but has partially collapsed over time. The church itself is a large hall with a rounded apse at the eastern end. The altar is slightly elevated, and beneath it, there is a hidden passage leading down into a secret chamber, where sacred vessels and vestments were likely kept. The walls of the church are constructed from stone, with the apse carved directly into the rock. The church has several entrances, with the western one leading to a passage to the spring.

The cultural significance of this church lies in its frescoes, created in 1184 and 1185. To put this in perspective, this was the year of Prince Igor’s campaign against the Polovtsians, or the year the Taira clan was wiped out in Japan.

In the altar niche, the Virgin Mary is depicted with archangels, while below are 12 high priests holding scrolls. On the vault of the church, there are scenes from the Gospels: the Annunciation, Nativity, the damaged Meeting and Baptism, with the Transfiguration and the Raising of Lazarus on the northern vault. On the southern side, a damaged scene of the Entry into Jerusalem can be found. On the western wall, there are three scenes: the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, and the Assumption of the Virgin.

Of particular historical interest are the images of the founders (benefactors) of the church, which are always depicted on the northern wall. Here, we find portraits of King Giorgi and Queen Tamar. This is one of the three known portraits of her—another is in the Kintsvisi Monastery, and the third in the Bethany Monastery.

The Assumption Church and Bell Tower are the most visually distinctive objects. Everything else consists of numerous caves and several tunnels. Some of the caves have names, which are marked on signs.

One notable feature is the tunnel behind the church. If you make your way to the northern wall of the church, you’ll find a small chapel with a tomb, and beside it, a wooden staircase. A sign next to it reads “refuge.” Climbing a few steps takes you to the beginning of a narrow tunnel that ascends high above, several levels higher than the church. It’s nothing dangerous, but it can be a little unnerving for those unaccustomed to such heights. The tunnel leads to one of the upper rooms, from where there is an external descent down. From start to finish, the tunnel is man-made.

A visit to Vardzia makes the most sense when combined with the surrounding attractions—so you don’t have to make two trips. The closest site is Vardzia-light, the Vanis-Kvabebi caves. A little farther to the north is the Tmogvi Fortress, the village of Tmogvi with the Tsunda Church, and north of that, Khertvisi and the megalithic fortresses at Saro. The ultimate rarity, however, is the Mgelis-Tcihe Fortress, which sits further up the river, about 15 kilometers from Mirashkhani. This fortress is on the Turkish side, but it can be easily seen from the Georgian shore. Just be sure to notify the police in Aspindza before heading there, as it’s still close to the border.