Georgia- Mtskheta, Gori, and Uplistsikhe

December 8, 2014

Mtskheta

Mtskheta is one of the oldest cities of Georgia it is located approximately 12 miles north of Tbilisi at the confluence of the Aragvi and Kura rivers.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

Davit was our driver for the day. He offered many things including his three pillars of good living!

Jvari Monastery

Gori

Gori was an important military stronghold in the Middle Ages and maintains a strategic importance due to its location on the principal highway connecting eastern and western parts of Georgia. In the course of its history, Gori has been invaded by the armies of regional powers several times. The city was occupied by Russian troops during the 2008 Russia–Georgia war.

Gori is also known as the birthplace of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, ballistic missile designer Alexander Nadiradze and philosopher Merab Mamardashvili.

The Stalin Museum

Stalin’s office imported from Moscow!

Uplistsikhe

Uplistsikhe, literally “the lord’s fortress”, is an ancient rock-hewn town. Built on a high rocky left bank of the Mtkvari River, it contains various structures dating from the Early Iron Age to the Late Middle Ages, and is notable for the unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures from Anatolia and Iran, as well as the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture.