Uplistsikhe Ancient Rock Town

Uplistsikhe literally means 'The Lord's Fortress'. I got the chance to visit this spectacular site with my friends during vacation. It is definitely a place to be seen if you ever get a chance to visit Gori, which is the birth place of the world-famous dictator Joseph Stalin. This ancient rock town is located a few kilometeres away from Gori.

There are two ways to reach Gori from Tbilisi; one is to take a mini-van from Didube, and the other way is to go by train. From Gori you can reach Uplistsikhe by the local transportation facilities available there. If you plan to go as a group there is also another alternative; you may hire a cab to go there and return. As the trip is short and it takes only one day to go and return, this is really economical for a group of 10 people.

On reaching this amazing rock city you may have to buy an entrance ticket of 1GEL (Georgian lari) and, in any case, if you need a guide to assist you, there will be a few guides available as well. This ancient rock town is located on the banks of the famous river Mtkvari. When you enter, first of all what you may find is a giant hill of carved rocks. As the place is near the river, you will feel the cold, damp wind and, in some conditions, the wind may be so intense that it may blow you off, literally..!

Entering this gigantic hill through its bottom is really cool. The old rock carved steps are preserved, although visitors climb through a steel stair case that lies exactly on the path of the original ones. Climbing vertically you will emerge through an opening in the hill somewhere in the middle of the hill. Trekking through the hill for a small distance will lead you to an awesome scenic view where you will be standing on one edge of the hill surrounded by barricades. As you stand in this place, you may feel the strong wind blowing on you and taking you off the ground. Here you will also get a chance to see some archaeological ruins of some ancient civilization at quite a far distance.

Making your way through the hill will take you to a place where the rocks have been carved to resemble the shape of a window or a door, through which you may enter and see a set up of a primitive home, made of stone. But the thing to be highlighted is the great architecture of the city inhabited very many years ago; a conclusion to which anyone can be brought seeing the city's remains of time. There were many rooms structured with windows, beds and even bathtubs, and resembling a spa all carved in wood. It is very admirable to see such an advanced civilization survive after thousands and thousands of years. Further up the hill, you will find a cultural hall with architecture carved out of stone again. This hall looks so beautiful that it may have served as the primitive model for most of the cultural and community halls built in the present. It is said that in those days the people of this rock city used to gather at this hall for fun and entertainment.

Again after some short steps up the hill there are structures assumed to be the punishment sites presumably for enemies. Structures resembling dark and deep wells could be found even today. After a little trek, one may be able to catch a glimpse of a church, structurally resembling one in the present time.

Moving to the extreme of this ancient rock town will lead you to the peak of the hill where you may find a separate rock ledge, standing high above the land. When you get there and stand against the heavy wind, you will feel how it pushes you out of the edge and almost makes you fly. Despite its dangers, it is really breathtaking to take a look at a long gone civilization and at the river located far below.

After all the fun and adventure, when you run completely out of energy, you may get down the hill using the staircase built on the other end of the hill. Uplistsikhe is a real place to explore to those who wish to have some real cultural trekking adventure.

Despite suffering some loss due to past earthquakes, it still remains as one of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. As its name implies, it is 'The Lord's Fortress', and it makes us visualize the knowledge of our ancestors in architectural works. Several archaeological excavations made here have given us a number of ornaments and other valuables that are preserved in the National Museum of Georgia. Therefore, Uplistsikhe is definitely a place to see, to explore and to enjoy!