Uplistsikhe

Uplistsikhe is one of the oldest urban settlements in the Caucasus, cut directly into a sandstone ridge above the Mtkvari river and occupied from around the first millennium BC until the Mongol raids of the thirteenth century. At its height it was a major pagan religious centre and a stop on trade routes, and what survives is a honeycomb of rock-cut spaces: a large hall with a coffered ceiling carved to imitate wooden beams, a pharmacy with niches for jars, wine cellars with sunken qvevri pits, a theatre-like space, and streets worn into the rock by centuries of feet. A brick basilica from the Christian period sits incongruously on top. Tunnels run down towards the river, and the whole ridge gives a wide view over the valley.

What you actually see

• Tamar's Hall - the large rock-cut hall with a carved coffered ceiling.
• Wine cellars - sunken qvevri pits carved into the floor of storage caves.
• The escape tunnel - a rock-cut passage running down towards the river.
• The basilica - the later Christian church built on top of the pagan city.

When to go

Spring and autumn; summer on the bare ridge is very hot with no shade. Combine with Gori and the nearby Ateni Sioni church for a full day from Tbilisi.

Honest expectations

The rock is worn smooth and can be genuinely slippery, especially after rain, and there are drops without railings in several places; sensible shoes are not optional. Interpretation on site is minimal, so a guide or good reading beforehand makes the difference between caves and a city. There is no shade.

Nearby

Gori and the Ateni valley are close; Mtskheta lies on the road back to Tbilisi.