Uplistsikhe Ancient Cave City Rock-Cut Settlement in Georgia
Uplistsikhe, an ancient rock-hewn city in eastern Georgia, features cave dwellings, tunnels, and a medieval church carved into sandstone cliffs overlooking the Mtkvari River valley.
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Uplistsikhe stands as one of Georgia's oldest urban settlements, carved directly into the volcanic rock face over 3,000 years ago. This ancient cave city served as a major political and religious center along the historic Silk Road trade route.
The settlement features a remarkable network of cave dwellings, storage chambers, wine cellars, and pagan temples, all connected by narrow tunnels and passageways. At its peak, Uplistsikhe housed thousands of inhabitants across multiple levels of rock-cut architecture.
Today, the UNESCO World Heritage candidate site preserves ruins from various historical periods, including a 9th-century three-nave basilica that crowns the highest point of the complex, visible against the clear Caucasian sky.
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