David Gareji
This is a grand complex of cave monasteries of the VI century located on southeast of Tbilisi, on the Georgian-Azerbaijani border, and stretching for 25 km along semi-desert slopes. The complex consists of about 20 monasteries carved in the rocks. The David Gareji complex includes hundreds of rooms carved in the rocks, which were used by monks as cells. The main monastery of the complex, the David's Lavra, was founded at the beginning of VI century by the Syrian monk David, one of 13 Syrian fathers who arrived in Georgia to preach Christianity, and brought in Georgia the monasticism. In the same VI century, his followers Dodo and Lucian founded two more monasteries - the monastery of Dodo (Dodos Rka) and Natlis-Mtsemeli (John the Baptist). In the 12th century, David-Gareji was turned into the cultural and educational center of all eastern Georgia. In many churches and refectory monasteries frescoes of the 8th— 14th centuries are preserved with portraits of historical people.
This is a grand complex of cave monasteries of the VI century located on southeast of Tbilisi, on the Georgian-Azerbaijani border, and stretching for 25 km along semi-desert slopes. The complex consists of about 20 monasteries carved in the rocks. The David Gareji complex includes hundreds of rooms carved in the rocks, which were used by monks as cells. The main monastery of the complex, the David's Lavra, was founded at the beginning of VI century by the Syrian monk David, one of 13 Syrian fathers who arrived in Georgia to preach Christianity, and brought in Georgia the monasticism. In the same VI century, his followers Dodo and Lucian founded two more monasteries - the monastery of Dodo (Dodos Rka) and Natlis-Mtsemeli (John the Baptist). In the 12th century, David-Gareji was turned into the cultural and educational center of all eastern Georgia. In many churches and refectory monasteries frescoes of the 8th— 14th centuries are preserved with portraits of historical people.
