Places of Interest - Georgia

Sighnaghi:

The village 'Sighnaghi' is considered the most beautiful but also romantic village of Georgia and many tourists come for a day or longer to this town which lay in the eastern part of the region. The city itself, but also the area around it, has been protected by law since 1975. In addition to the many wine shops and tastings, a large part of the 4 km long city wall is still standing. There are six city gates and 32 towers, some of which can be visited. Not so strange that the name "Sighnaghi" derives from the Turkish word "siginak" which means protection. In the almost Italian village two churches are present, a cozy town square and 2 km away is the "Bodbe" monastery. From here you have a beautiful view of the village. 

Monastic complex "David Gareja":

The "David Garedzja" monastery is located in the southeast of Georgia in a very unusually semi desert-like area. The entire complex consists of 15 monasteries, the largest of which are "Lavra" and “Udabno". Sadly neglected in Soviet times, now there are 10 monks living in the first monastery mentioned. It is a rock-hewn Georgian-orthodox complex on the slopes of Mount Gareja. The complex contains of hundreds of churches, chapels, refters and living quarters in the hollowed out rock wall. The monastery was founded in the 6th century in the cave where a white cross now stands. Part of the complex is located a bit further in the Agstafa district of Azerbaijan. You can see the 18th century watchtower, visit the spring called "David's tears" and the "Udabno" caves that lie next to the border with Azerdbeijan. The monasteries were destroyed by the Mongols in 1265 and rebuilt. They were destroyed again by Timur or Tamerlane and in the year 1615 they were swept from the earth by the Persians when 6,000 monks were killed and all their belongings were destroyed. During Soviet times the area was used for military exercises - demonstrations followed by the population as this was seen as a lack of respect. Ironically, after the independence, the Georgian army practiced exactly in the same place.

From the end of the 8th century, the "Kakheti" region had an independent administration. After a brief incorporation into a united Georgian kingdom in the 11th century, it became a real part of the country in the 12th century. King David “the Builder” annexed the region. From the beginning of the 16th century, Kakheti came under the control of the Persians with the adjacent "Kartli". In 1616, the Persian leader "Shah Abbas" deported hundreds of thousands of ethnic Kakheti Georgians to Iran and destroyed the entire region. About one hundred and fifty years later it became part of the Georgian Kingdom "Kartli" again. In 1801 the region was annexed in the Tsarist Russian Empire. In 1762 the then King of Georgia sponsored the construction of the village "Sighnaghi" and had a fort built around it to protect the houses and surroundings against mainly tribes from Dagestan. The village was mainly inhabited by merchants, workers and 100 families. During the Caucasus war the city was an important link because of its strategic location near Russian Dagestan. Under the rule of the Soviet Union, the city grew in size and became an important agricultural area. Now the hamlet lives mainly have tourism and wine sales.