Ajay was scheduled to return to London today from Tbilisi. He had been my able companion during the past week and some during the journey through Azerbaijan and Georgia. It would have been ideal if he had been there to complete the Georgia part of the vacation too. But the call of official duty cannot be sacrificed at the altar of leisure. It is good that he got these last few days to unwind. It was bonding time too, between father and son.
Ajay had time in Tbilisi this day as his flight to London via Istanbul was late evening. The first part of the day's program was to visit the Chronicles of Georgia located on Keeni Hill near the Tbilisi reservoir. Ajay had time to accompany us for that visit and take the bus back to town. We checked out of the hotel and drove to Keeni Hill, which we reached in about 20 minutes. Traffic was not light, as I had expected on a Sunday.
The Chronicles of Georgia was created by sculptor Zurab Tsereteli in 1985. The monument is often referred to as the Stonehenge of Georgia. The monument looks majestic and is reached by a steep set of steps. It commemorates 3000th year of Georgian statehood and 2000th year of Christian dissemination. The monument's location gives 360-degree views of the city, including that of the Tbilisi reservoir.
The 16 pillars of the monument are each 35 meters tall; the top part of each pillar depicts those who influenced the history of Georgia and the bottom part features stories from the life of Christ. St. Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia is prominently recognized in one of the pillars. There is also a grapevine cross of St. Nino and a chapel dedicated to her. The latter is under renovation and closed to visitors. But, a kind security guard, through the intercession of a couple of tourists from New York, opened the chapel for us to experience the stained glass works and icons inside the chapel.
The feature that took our breaths away was the massive Tbilisi reservoir, which is referred to as the Tbilisi Sea. It stands at the site of olden day salt lakes. The elliptical Tbilisi Sea is 8.75 km long with a maximum width of 1.85 km. While the average depth of the reservoir is 26 meters, it is 45 meters deep in the deepest part. It is now one of the most important recreational places in Tbilisi with a yacht club and Aqua Park. We took leave of Ajay at the Chronicles of Georgia. He decided to explore the area more, especially the Tbilisi Sea and its environs.
As we set course for the Mtskheta Cathedral the fuel warning came on and I steered into the first fuel outlet and topped up the tank. Fuel is priced variously by various companies in Georgia, unlike in Azerbaijan where the prices are constant throughout the country and across companies. In Georgia ordinary petrol, 93 octane, costs about Rs. 95 per liter as against the price in Azerbaijan of Rs. 50!
The Mtskheta Cathedral or the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is literally the Cathedral of the Living Pillar. It was about half an hour drive from the Tbilisi Sea. Being a Sunday, the church service was on and there was a sea of vehicles right around the church and in the busy residential area it was difficult to find parking. When I finally did, it was a fair walk around the fortress like exterior of the church to the entrance.
It is a classic example of the Middle Ages architectural style. The cathedral is today a UNESCO recognized World Heritage Site and is the second largest church building in Georgia, apart from the Holy Trinity Church in Tbilisi. Known as the burial site of the claimed Christ's mantle, Svetitskhoveli is among the most venerated places of worship in the region. Throughout the centuries, the cathedral served as the burial place for kings.
As service was in progress, I was not granted entry inside the Georgian Orthodox church even though I wished to worship for a short while inside. Despite showing the rosary I had with me I was told that I could not enter the church at that time as I was not a member of the Orthodox Church. There was plenty to appreciate in the compound of the Cathedral such as ruins from the past and a grapevine cross.
The Jvari monastery stands impressively atop the Jvari Mount at over 659 meters above MSL. The view of the church from the Svetitskhoveli cathedral was so captivating that we decided to include that as part of the day's program. When I reached there, I wondered how I had missed it out in the first place. Tourists were swarming all over the place, but there was plenty of parking and enough place for everyone to move around.
Jvari monastery literally translates to 'Monastery of the Cross'. The church is a rare case of a Medieval Georgian church that has survived to the present day almost unchanged. The church also began the tradition of the Jvari type of church architecture that became popular in Georgia and Armenia. This site too was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994. The church stands 25 meters tall within defensive walls and was built by the then King of Iberia in the late 6th century.
The views of the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers from the cliffs of the Jvari Mount is so captivating that one cannot tear one's eyes away from there. The weather was so good, with cool breeze blowing all the time, that I thought of pitching my tent for the rest of the tour right there. The Jvari Monastery overlooks the town of Mtskheta, which was formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Iberia. According to oral accounts, it was at the location of the monastery that St. Nino converted the Iberian King to Christianity in the 4th century.
The viewpoints from many vantage points of the Zhinvali reservoir was reached within an hours' drive from the Jvari monastery. The Zhinvali water reservoir, can also be described as a lake. It is on the erstwhile Georgian Military Highway to the present Russian border in Lars. The reservoir was constructed in the 1980s by the government of the day to take care of the rapidly growing water requirements of Tbilisi.
The Aragvi Gorge with plentiful supply of glacier water was considered the perfect fit to serve the growing Tbilisi requirements. The locals protested the loss of rich architectural treasures of the Middle Ages and their own homes built by the government. As can be understood, the protests fell on deaf ears and the Zhinvali territory was submerged by the flooding of the area under 75 meters of water. Even though the history of the city is lost, the lake and reservoir with its stunning views and beautiful colors all the year-round provides jaw dropping experience to visitors and business opportunities to the locals who operate restaurants, souvenir shops and retail outlets.
The Ananauri fortress is one of the hundreds of Georgian medieval castles on the Georgia-Russian Military route, about 65 km from Tbilisi. The fortress is strategically placed in the valley between the Aragvi and Vedzatkhevi rivers to expose the enemy as soon as they crossed over. Over the course of time the castle lost its importance and became desolate, but never fell to ruin like many of its contemporaries. It is an important tourist stopover in the way to Stepantsminda. The number of tourists at the time of our visit pointed to that.
The relatively well-preserved complex has not seen many stone walls or towers collapsing over centuries and hence, is interesting to researchers and tourists alike. The Assumption Church and the Church of the Saviour are in fairly good state of preservation with ancient frescos, belfry and main tower. Below the castle there is even an old road and bridge which gets flooded regularly by waters of the reservoir. The complex is indeed a treasure trove for those who wish to explore medieval ruins.
About 60 km from the Ananauri fortress, along a beautiful mountain road, cut through the Caucuses Mountains, is the Russia Georgia Friendship Monument, beyond the village of Gudauri. That the place is popular all year through is evident from the number of hotels and restaurants in the area. It was interesting to note the many Indian restaurants and those serving halal food, prominently advertised.
The Gudauri Friendship Monument is also known as the Gudauri Panorama, which was built by the government of Soviet Russia to celebrate 200 years of the treaty of Georgyevsk in 1783 between Soviet Russia and Georgia. The Soviet style panorama is decorated with mosaics depicting Georgian and Russian heroes, farmers, fairy tales and of court, communist symbols.
The colorful and vivid panorama is enhanced by the breathtaking beauty of the location. The circular balcony hangs off a 600-meter cliff affording unmatched views of the Caucasus Mountains. Further, it is an excellent place for paragliding, to soar over the green mountains guided by a professional pilot. It is a popular spot for other extreme sports also. The monument area has good places to eat and take rest too.
A short drive of less than 3 km away is the Jvari Pass. The name Jvari Pass, or Cross Pass in English, is from the huge marble cross that identified the watershed at 7857 feet above MSL, which was moved later. Presently, an obelisk marks the elevation of the Pass. While the road was always in use by traders, invaders and travelers, it was only in 1783 that the present established road was constructed with 800 soldiers of the Russian army. It was incredibly cold at that spot and tourists stayed for just a while to take photos and selfies.
From the Jvari Pass we drove to the Hotel Kazbegu 1963 in Stepantsminda, where we were booked to stay. The views from the largely wooden hotel knocked the stuffing out of me. So fantastic were the views that I almost gave up the thought of driving to the Lars checkpoint, the Russian border area. The Caucasus Mountains were all over with vestiges of many glaciers still a sight to behold.
The Lars checkpoint and monastery complex is about 12 km from the hotel, through the Stepantsminda city centre. There are two major tunnels through which one has to drive through, one is them is nearly two kilometers long. The checkpoint is at the Dariali Gorge facilitating road traffic between Russia and Georgia. The checkpoint was destroyed by a landslide in 2014 but was quickly rebuilt. Long line of freight trucks can be seen on the route and a large parking complex near the checkpoint was almost full. I saw a lot of Russian cars coming from and going back to the border.
The Dariali Monastery Complex is much more recent than the ancient trade route that passed through the Dariali Gorge. The first of the churches was opened in 2011. The monks in the monastery are involved in the building of the complex and its decorations including decorative mosaics, fine metal works, running of a well stacked winery and the like. The excellent store that sells religious articles are also manned by the monks and nuns. The experience inside the church was truly divine. The Georgian Orthodox churches are not as ornate as the Russian Orthodox churches, though quite similar.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Stepantsminda city centre to exchange currency as well as for dinner. The lovely Khevi restaurant served excellent rice and vegetables and Ajapsandali, a traditional Georgian meal consisting of potatoes, eggplants, onions and spices. It is a close cousin of the ratatouille.
By the time we got back to the hotel it had become quite cold with a brisk breeze blowing. It chilled us to the bones, and we sought refuge within the confines of the room even though our plans were to stroll around in the salubrious environment and take in the fresh mountain air. The other thing about Tbilisi and Stepantsminda is that water is had straight from the tap, clean mountain water they call it. Levan, of Hotel Frida in Tbilisi, said that it is safe for even babies!
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