Monastery complex David Gareji. David Gareji Monastery

The monastery complex of David Gareji, one of the main shrines and attractions of Georgia, is about twenty ancient cave monasteries of varying degrees of preservation, located within a radius of 20 kilometers on both slopes of the semi-desert Gareji ridge. The central part of the complex is quite compact and can be easily walked around in two to three hours - here, on a small patch, there are the Lavra of David on the northern slope of the ridge, as well as three more churches and about a hundred ancient monastic cave-cells on the southern slope of the ridge. Lavra of David - the oldest monastery and the main dominant feature of the entire complex, was founded at the beginning of the 6th century by the Syrian monk David, who settled in the natural cave of Gareja. David was one of the thirteen Syrian fathers who came to Iberia preaching Christianity. Over the years, the monastery founded by David grew stronger, the community grew - David's disciples and followers founded several more monasteries and rock complexes in the neighborhood, the territory of the monastery reached its current size, and the monastery itself became one of the main spiritual centers of Georgia.

In addition to the amazing ancient monasteries among the rocks, David Gareji is interesting for a simple tourist for two more reasons. Firstly, the nature here is stunningly beautiful - mountain meadows, completely unearthly, as if out of space, multi-colored rocks, and down to the south, as far as the eye can see, the endless steppe stretches. In addition, the state border of Georgia and Azerbaijan runs exactly along the line of the Gareji Ridge - thus, the monastery complex itself is now located on the territory of two countries at once: the Lavra of David on the northern slope of the ridge is Georgia, and the monastery caves on the southern slope and a number of other remote monasteries - this is Azerbaijan. And within the framework of a standard two-hour circle along the tourist trail of the monastery complex, the traveler sets foot on the land of two states at once.

It must be admitted that when drawing the borders of the union republics at one time, by accident or intentionally, much was done in order to maximally “unite them with bonds of unbreakable friendship” - you don’t have to look far for examples, but here, at the top of the ridge, there is a territorial dispute over David The dispute between Georgia and Azerbaijan has been going on for twenty years. Georgia is making every effort to completely reclaim the territory of the monastery complex - for example, several years ago the Georgian side proposed to Azerbaijan to “exchange” the territory of David Gareji for neighboring strategic heights. In reality, the issue of border delimitation in this area still remains open and only periodically escalates on the eve of elections and other political events in the life of both neighboring countries.

To the credit of the opponents, it must be said that all this does not affect tourism in any way - the territory of the complex is open for free access and movement, and you can only get here from the Georgian side - from the Azerbaijani side it is almost a vertical slope. Today, the territory of the monastery is allowed to be patrolled by both Georgian and Azerbaijani border guards - in reality, Azerbaijanis are extremely rare here: they stand below, at the foot of the steep southern slope. However, I wandered around the heights alone, and for two hours I did not meet a single person. :)

Now let's finally take a walk! :)

1. Let's leave the car in a small parking lot near the entrance to the territory of the active monastery of Lavra David and start climbing up the narrow path of the northern slope.

2. All the beauty of the monastery among the rocks is revealed from above - the ancient monastery gradually opens up, like a lotus flower.

5. We rise higher and higher, and below are incredibly beautiful landscapes.

7. One of the small cave churches on the northern slope.

8. Near the church, the monastery cat is basking in the March sun.

9. We rise even higher - these reddish striped hills look unrealistically beautiful!

10. Finally, the trail reaches the top of the Gareji ridge, and we find ourselves exactly on the line of the Georgian-Azerbaijani border, marked by characteristic lopsided posts.

11. On the left is Georgia, on the right is Azerbaijan, and I am photographing from Azerbaijani territory.

12. Twenty meters from here, on the territory of Azerbaijan, there is another ancient monastery of the monastery complex. Let's go see! :)

14. Down behind the steep cliff there is a fantastic view of the Azerbaijani steppes stretching far to the south.

15. Azerbaijani checkpoint and the state border passing through the steppe.

17. But let's return to Georgia. :) Looking forward - ahead is Azerbaijan, the Kura Valley covered with steppes stretches out, and behind it, behind the distant, hazy ridge, 60 kilometers from here - Armenia. How is everything so very, very close here, in the Caucasus...

18. Industrial Georgian city of Rustavi.

19. Panoramas of the Gareji Ridge.

21. Azerbaijan. The border strip winds among the hills.

25. Azerbaijani steppes and the wide Kura valley stretching to the east.

26. In the steep southern slope of the ridge there are about a hundred monastic cave-cells, inside many of them ancient paintings and even, as knowledgeable people write, a portrait of Queen Tamara have been preserved.

35. Getting to some caves requires a fair amount of dexterity.

36. One hundred monastery caves are located exactly on the border line, on the almost vertical southern slope of the Gareji Ridge that breaks off towards Azerbaijan, and the ancient temple above them is already Georgia.

37. Incredibly beautiful! Unearthly landscapes, silence, space, the smell of herbs, fresh wind and not a soul - this is exactly why I went to Georgia!

David-Gareji Monastery (Georgia) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

• Last minute tours to Georgia

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Georgia is a country with a long and rich history, evidence of the events of which has been preserved in abundance: these are beautiful temples, ancient fortresses, ancient cities and, of course, monasteries. A great many holy places, some of which appeared in the early Middle Ages, attract pilgrims from all over the world. One of the most revered monastery complexes in Georgia is named after St. David Garej and stretches for many kilometers. There are a lot of monasteries concentrated here, whose age varies between the 6th and 14th centuries. It is impossible to convey the great meaning that the David-Gareji complex contains.

David Gareja is located in the southeastern part of Georgia, on the very border with Azerbaijan, some of it is located in disputed territories between the two countries. In short, this is where part of the state border lies. Georgia, for obvious reasons, would like to see these territories as part of its state, and even proposes a territorial exchange, but Azerbaijan rejects such proposals. In general, the David-Gareji monastery complex extends more than 25 km on the Gareji ridge. This ridge is a huge desert plateau in a practically deserted area, so it is not surprising that these wild and difficult places to live were chosen by medieval monks for their feat.

Lavra of St. David

The monastery that bears the honorary name of the Lavra is especially revered - this is the Lavra of St. David. The ancient holy monastery consists of monks' cells dug right into the rock. Looking at the dense rock, thoughts certainly come to mind about how much work it took for the inhabitants to “bite into” these rocks, and that it is impossible to achieve this solely by human labor. If we had wings like birds, we would be able to see that the Lavra forms a large cross.

In the Lavra of St. David, in the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the relics of St. David of Gareji himself rest. According to some information, which, however, has never found material confirmation, the disciple of Saint David, Saint Dodo, also found his last earthly refuge here, but his burial place has not been discovered.

There is a spring on the territory of the monastery, and this is the only place from which water flows, and besides it, for many, many kilometers around there is no moisture at all. But an attentive traveler will be able to see the grooves made in the rocks. When it rained, the water flowed down these furrows and accumulated in a special reservoir. In this way the brethren were saved from thirst.

Other monasteries

As mentioned above, one of the disciples of Saint David - Saint Dodo - became famous for many deeds. He founded the monastery, which today bears the name Dodos-Rka. Another follower of Saint David, Lucian, founded the monastery of Natlismtsemeli. After the Turkish invasion, much was destroyed. But still, in the period of the 11th-12th centuries, the monasteries of Udabno, Bertubani and Chichkhituri appeared here. Some of them today are located on the territory of another state - Azerbaijan.

More than once the holy monasteries of these places suffered from the invasions of the Turks and Persians, many times the invaders slaughtered the brethren and inhabitants of the monastery, but each time, with the labor of people and the help of God, the David-Gareji monastery complex rose from the ashes.

More than once the holy monasteries of these places suffered from the invasions of the Turks and Persians, many times the invaders massacred the brethren and inhabitants of the monastery, but each time, with the labor of people and the help of God, the David-Gareji complex rose from the ashes.

Today, the David-Gareji monastery complex is a functioning monastery that has great veneration not only in Georgia, but throughout the Orthodox world. In numerous churches, refectories, sacristies and other monastery buildings you can see ancient frescoes depicting St. George the Builder, Queen Tamara, and scenes from Scripture.

Coordinates

Address: Rustavi-Jandari-David-Gareji, Georgia (60 km from Tbilisi). How to get there: from Tbilisi to Gardabani or Rustavi, and then by taxi.

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The monastery complex of David Gareji, one of the main shrines and attractions of Georgia, is about twenty ancient cave monasteries of varying degrees of preservation, located within a radius of 20 kilometers on both slopes of the semi-desert Gareji ridge. The central part of the complex is quite compact and can be easily walked around in two to three hours - here, on a small patch, there are the Lavra of David on the northern slope of the ridge, as well as three more churches and about a hundred ancient monastic cave-cells on the southern slope of the ridge. Lavra of David - the oldest monastery and the main dominant feature of the entire complex, was founded at the beginning of the 6th century by the Syrian monk David, who settled in the natural cave of Gareja. David was one of the thirteen Syrian fathers who came to Iberia preaching Christianity. Over the years, the monastery founded by David grew stronger, the community grew - David's disciples and followers founded several more monasteries and rock complexes in the neighborhood, the territory of the monastery reached its current size, and the monastery itself became one of the main spiritual centers of Georgia.

In addition to the amazing ancient monasteries among the rocks, David Gareji is interesting for a simple tourist for two more reasons. Firstly, the nature here is stunningly beautiful - mountain meadows, completely unearthly, as if out of space, multi-colored rocks, and down to the south, as far as the eye can see, the endless steppe stretches. In addition, the state border of Georgia and Azerbaijan runs exactly along the line of the Gareji Ridge - thus, the monastery complex itself is now located on the territory of two countries at once: the Lavra of David on the northern slope of the ridge is Georgia, and the monastery caves on the southern slope and a number of other remote monasteries - this is Azerbaijan. And within the framework of a standard two-hour circle along the tourist trail of the monastery complex, the traveler sets foot on the land of two states at once.

It must be admitted that when drawing the borders of the union republics at one time, by accident or intentionally, much was done in order to maximally “unite them with bonds of unbreakable friendship” - you don’t have to look far for examples, but here, at the top of the ridge, there is a territorial dispute over David The dispute between Georgia and Azerbaijan has been going on for twenty years. Georgia is making every effort to completely reclaim the territory of the monastery complex - for example, several years ago the Georgian side proposed to Azerbaijan to “exchange” the territory of David Gareji for neighboring strategic heights. In reality, the issue of border delimitation in this area still remains open and only periodically escalates on the eve of elections and other political events in the life of both neighboring countries.

To the credit of the opponents, it must be said that all this does not affect tourism in any way - the territory of the complex is open for free access and movement, and you can only get here from the Georgian side - from the Azerbaijani side it is almost a vertical slope. Today, the territory of the monastery is allowed to be patrolled by both Georgian and Azerbaijani border guards - in reality, Azerbaijanis are extremely rare here: they stand below, at the foot of the steep southern slope. However, I wandered around the heights alone, and for two hours I did not meet a single person. :)

Now let's finally take a walk! :)

Let's leave the car in a small parking lot near the entrance to the territory of the active monastery of Lavra David and begin the climb up the narrow path of the northern slope.

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All the beauty of the monastery among the rocks is revealed from above - the ancient monastery gradually opens up, like a lotus flower.

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Monastery of David Gareji, Georgia // uritsk.livejournal.com

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We rise higher and higher, and below are incredibly beautiful landscapes.

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One of the small cave churches on the northern slope.

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Near the church, the monastery cat basks in the March sun.

// uritsk.livejournal.com

We rise even higher - these reddish striped hills look unrealistically beautiful!

// uritsk.livejournal.com

Finally, the trail reaches the top of the Gareji ridge, and we find ourselves exactly on the line of the Georgian-Azerbaijani border, marked by characteristic lopsided posts.

// uritsk.livejournal.com

On the left is Georgia, on the right is Azerbaijan, and I am photographing from Azerbaijani territory.

// uritsk.livejournal.com

Twenty meters from here, on the territory of Azerbaijan, there is another ancient monastery of the monastery complex. Let's go see! :)

// uritsk.livejournal.com

// uritsk.livejournal.com

Down behind the steep cliff there is a fantastic view of the Azerbaijani steppes stretching far to the south.

// uritsk.livejournal.com

Azerbaijani checkpoint and the state border passing through the steppe.

// uritsk.livejournal.com

// uritsk.livejournal.com

But let's return to Georgia. :) Looking forward - ahead is Azerbaijan, the Kura Valley covered with steppes stretches out, and behind it, behind the distant, hazy ridge, 60 kilometers from here - Armenia. How is everything so very, very close here, in the Caucasus...

// uritsk.livejournal.com

Industrial Georgian city of Rustavi.

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Panoramas of the Gareji Ridge.

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Azerbaijan. The border strip winds among the hills.

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Incredibly beautiful!

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// uritsk.livejournal.com

// uritsk.livejournal.com

Azerbaijani steppes and the wide Kura valley stretching to the east.

// uritsk.livejournal.com

In the steep southern slope of the ridge there are about a hundred monastic cave-cells, inside many of them ancient paintings have been preserved and even, as knowledgeable people write, a portrait of Queen Tamara.

// uritsk.livejournal.com

// uritsk.livejournal.com

// uritsk.livejournal.com

// uritsk.livejournal.com

// uritsk.livejournal.com

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Getting to some caves requires a fair amount of dexterity.

// uritsk.livejournal.com

One hundred monastery caves are located exactly on the border line, on the almost vertical southern slope of the Gareji Ridge, which breaks off towards Azerbaijan, and the ancient temple above them is already Georgia.

// uritsk.livejournal.com

Incredibly beautiful! Unearthly landscapes, silence, space, the smell of herbs, fresh wind and not a soul - this is exactly why I went to Georgia!

// uritsk.livejournal.com

// uritsk.livejournal.com

// uritsk.livejournal.com

David Gareji Monastery was founded by one of the holy fathers who brought monasticism to Georgia - Saint David of Gareji. Initially, he came to Iveria together with John of Zadazeni and settled in the city of Zadazeni, and then moved to Tbilisi and lived on the mountain for some time Mtatsminda, sometimes going down to the city to preach.

Later, being slandered, David Gareji left the city, but left its residents a source, the water of which helped against infertility. In memory of that history, there remains in Tbilisi Kashveti Church(the name means "who gave birth to the stone") - one woman stated that she was pregnant with David's child. In response, the holy father said that the time would come and the liar would give birth to a stone. So it happened, and now that stone is at the base of the Kashveti Church on Rustaveli Avenue.

Having retired from the restless and bustling Tbilisi to the desert area, Saint David and his disciple Lucian made the first cells in small caves. Over time, followers began to join them and gradually the small monastery turned into the David Gareji Monastery. Some believers believe that three visits to the David Gareji Monastery are equal to one pilgrimage to the Holy Land - and for good reason, there is a legend.

Shortly before his death, Saint David went to Jerusalem - but upon arrival he decided that he was not worthy to walk on the land where Jesus walked. And, having lifted three stones from the ground with prayer, he went back. The then Patriarch of Jerusalem, deciding that David had taken with him all the grace of the Holy Sepulcher, sent a messenger after him with a request to return two of the three stones - Saint David gave them back. The third stone was kept for a long time in the David Gareji Monastery, and was recently transported to the newly built Tsminda Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi.

Nowadays, the David Gareji complex has about 20 monasteries (it’s difficult to say exactly, since some monasteries merge with each other or are in a dilapidated state), and consists of 4 main parts located on the mountain ridge separating Georgia and Azerbaijan: Lavra of David, Tetri-Udabno monasteries And Natlismtsebeli And Dodo-Rka cave.

The core of the David Gareji Monastery is the Lavra of David, a fair part of which is an active monastery and it is unlikely that you will be able to go there. In the lower monastery, in the Church of the Transfiguration, the relics of St. David rest (to the right of the altar). The so-called “small circle” begins from the lavra: the trail goes to the top of the mountain range, where the state border passes, which is guarded in all seriousness by border guards.

Although the latter do not show any interest in tourists, the dispute over this area between the two countries continues throughout their independence: the Georgians would like to have the David Gareji monastery entirely on their territory, and the Azerbaijanis refuse to give in for fear of losing an important height on the border - even from the top of the ridge a fair part of the territory of Azerbaijan is visible to the naked eye (and in clear weather you can also see the mountains of Armenia on the horizon):

The trail will then lead to an uninhabited Tetri-Udabno monastery with frescoes of the 9th-14th centuries on gospel subjects and scenes from the life of St. David. From Tetri-Udabno the trail again leads down to the monastery.

Recommendations: It makes sense to take water and food with you on this trip; there will be nowhere to buy it on the spot. Also, when climbing to the top of a mountain range, it will be very useful to have at least average physical shape, suitable shoes and an alpenstock (or just a good strong stick - it’s difficult to find it locally, there is no forest there), you will have to climb up the path for about a kilometer. It is very undesirable to climb dark and damp caves in May-June: the risk of running into a viper is quite high.

You need to climb to the top of the ridge if only for the breathtaking scenery, especially from the Azerbaijani side. The main attraction of the ridge is the trail along which the state border passes:

One foot in Georgia, the other in Azerbaijan

The main monastery of David Gareji is located at the foot of the ridge on the Georgian side:

Two more small monasteries are located in the rock on the Azerbaijani side:

How to get to the David Gareji Monastery:

Only with your own or rented car, buses and minibuses from Tbilisi do not go there. You can take a minibus to Sagarejo from the Tbilisi metro station “Samgori”, and from there by taxi to the monastery. The price can be 40-50 for a round trip and two hours of waiting.

By car from Tbilisi to David Gareji Monastery It is advisable to go through Sagarejo, and not through Rustavi (the navigator stubbornly offers the second option). The road through Sagarejo is better, but even there the last 10 km leave a lot to be desired:

In principle, a passenger car will pass, but not without difficulty.

The total mileage from Tbilisi is about 90 km. First you need to get to the town of Sagarejo along the S5 road. In Sagarejo, turn right following the sign for David Gareji Monastery and then the road winds through the steppe between the hills past a salt lake Koptadze and half-forgotten villages. Not far from the village Convenient There will be a T-shaped intersection, at which you need to turn left and drive about another 5 km to the monastery (the distance from Sagarejo to the David Gareji Monastery is 48 km).

Coordinates forGPS navigatorDavid Gareji Monastery : N41°26.848; E45°22.603 (although our Garmin refused to count the road along them - from its “point of view”, there is no road to the monastery at all).

A list of all available author's excursions in Georgia and Kakheti can be found in the table below. By default, the window displays the first 3 excursions, sorted by reviews and popularity. To see all available options, click “See All”.

At the booking stage, you will need to pay 20% of the total cost, the rest is given to the guide before the start of the tour.

Transfer to the David Gareji Monastery from the GoTrip online service

Another good way to get to the monastery is to order a comfortable transfer on the Georgian website GoTrip. The prices there are lower than those of street taxi drivers, and at the booking stage you have the opportunity to choose a specific driver and car brand, depending on the reviews of previous passengers. Considering the horseman driving style of Georgian street taxi drivers and their not always serviceable cars, this is a very useful option. The price on the website is final, you won’t have to bargain with anyone.

What is the price? For free
Coordinates: 41.44735, 45.37639

Where? Southeast Georgia on the border with Azerbaijan

Distance: Tbilisi-David Gareji (via Sagarejo) 90 km, Sighnaghi-David Gareji 110 km

How long does it take? Optimal 2-3 hours on the territory of David Gareji, plus 3 hours on the way there and back by car.

Total minimum 5 hours. We have a trip to Sighnaghi → David Gareji → Tbilisi took 6 hours on a passenger car. Take a whole day on minibuses or by foot.

Infrastructure. There is a toilet behind 0.5 GEL. There is no cafe, nowhere to buy or get water. There is a shop at the monastery where they sell wine.

How to get to David Gareji?

The main points are marked on the map. Red icons indicate destination.

Drive from Sagarejo to David Gareji along the white road through Udabno.

Taxi from Tbilisi, 46$

If you look for a taxi on the streets of Tbilisi, they will quote prices from 150 GEL (56$ / 3750rub) and higher.

It’s more profitable to order online on this website (it’s better in advance, but it’s also possible a couple of hours before the trip). Their taxi from Tbilisi to David Gareji, taking into account the wait, costs from 46$ (price per car for travel There and back again, gasoline is included in the price).

If you are traveling with a group, taking a taxi is cheaper than minibuses or renting a car.

Excursion from Tbilisi, 25-120€

• per person. Carried out by Thursdays, starts at 9.00 at the Avlabari metro station in Tbilisi, lasts 9 hours.

• for the excursion - an individual excursion to David Gareji, lasts 9 hours. Reporting photoshoot For a present

On-site tour, $15

You can come to David Gareji on your own and take a guide on the spot. You need to make a phone call.

A person will come and give a tour, 2 hours, 40 lari($15 / 990r). This sign hangs on a tree:

Excursion minibus, 25 GEL

During the season (from May to mid-October) there is an excursion minibus from Tbilisi for 25 lari per person ( 10$ ).

Better call and check the schedule: 551 951 447

Info about the minibus from the network:

Regular minibus

There are no direct minibuses to David Gareji. We travel with transfers + stop/taxi.

From the metro Samgori There are minibuses in Tbilisi to Sagarejo(40-50 minutes, 3 lari).

On weekdays from Sagarejo there is one minibus per day to the village of Udabno (15 km from David-Gareji), I don’t know the schedule.

It’s easier in Sagarejo at the bus station to find a taxi to the David Gareji Monastery, for a price of about 50 lari($19 / 1250 rubles) round trip including waiting.

Hitch-hiking

You can hitchhike from Sagarejo, but it’s better to do it after 12.00.

Until 11-12 am there is zero traffic in the direction of David Gareji, after lunch there are minibuses with excursions and cars with tourists, you can try to fit in with them.

The hitchhikers we picked up said that out of seven cars, three stopped in two hours, and only we were going to the DG, the other two gave them a ride 2-3 km.

By car

Choose your path via Sagarejo, not through Rustavi. The navigator leads through Rustavi, but the road there is very bad.

We drove a car and rented a . In dry weather it is possible to drive, but the journey is not enjoyable.

There is a good road to Sagarejo. After turning to David Gareji, drive about 50 km. The road gets worse with every km.

At first there was normal asphalt, some holes here and there, but tolerable. After 25 km beyond the salt lake, the asphalt ends and broken gravel begins.

Generally last 25 km to David Gareji, drive a shaking car over rocks and a dirt road at high speed 30 km/h.

We were driving on a sunny day on a dry road. Dust and stones are flying. The windows had to be closed.

The timing was like this:

1 hour– from Sighnaghi to Sagarejo

1 hour 20 minutes— from Sagarejo to David Gareji

1 hour 40 minutes— a quick walking circle along the ridge. You can walk there for 3 hours if you have free time.

1 hour 30 minutes— from David Gareji to Tbilisi (it was faster in the opposite direction)

Total: 5 hours 30 minutes

What to see in David Gareji?

If you go to David Gareji without a tour and a guide, read the history at least on Wikipedia. There are no information stands like near other places in Georgia.

David Gareji - a whole complex of monasteries in the Gareji desert, the most famous and visited monasteries: Lavra of David(early 6th century) and Tetri-Udabno Monastery(cells and frescoes).

Everyone goes in the direction of the red arrows, we followed the green ones

We park the car and walk up the mountain in a “small circle”. Circular route to 2-3 hours is on the map in maps.me

Usually everyone goes counter-clockwise. A group of 30 Georgian schoolchildren and 10 Germans set off together along the standard route.

We walked clockwise and were alone on the trail.

Photo by David Gareji

In 30 minutes we climbed to the temple at the top of the ridge and met the border guards there.

Are we turning around? No, the guys with machine guns recommend going to the other side of the ridge. With the permission of the military, we go to see the cells of the Tetri-Udabno monastery.

The border runs smoothly along the Gareji Ridge. On the other side of the mountain there are about 100 caves with paintings and frescoes, and a view of Azerbaijan.

When is the best time to go to David Gareji?

May June when everything is green, giant clover grows on the slopes, there is no hellish heat - ideal. We were there in June. On a windy day at +30C, I was even glad that I was wearing a jacket - the wind was so cold.

IN April good in sunny weather. The main thing is that there is no rain.

IN July-August the grass fades, the bare slopes look different.

According to David Gareji you will have to hike and climb on mountain. In summer this is the warmest place in Georgia. At +40C there will be no buzz. At the height of summer, go either early in the morning, or after 17.00 when the heat subsides.

If you want to see one cave city in Georgia, no matter what, then in the heat it’s better to go to (near Gori).

in winter David Gareji is also beautiful. The landscapes are lunar, but due to the quality of the road there are problems with getting there.

There is no point in going to David Gareji in rain and snow.