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Short tours and excursions
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Kartli Tour |
Short tour (1
day) |
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Shida Kartli is the region of
Georgia to the west from
Tbilisi.
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Gori
- the city was founded by
one of the greatest kings of
Georgia, David the Builder
(1089–1125). It has a
population of 60,000. Gori
is situated where the
Liakhvi River enters the
Mtkvari. The city was
largely destroyed in the
1920 earthquake.
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Joseph
Stalin Museum
in Gori, Georgia is
dedicated to the life of the
town's most famous son,
Joseph Stalin, who became
the leader of the Soviet
Union.
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Uplistsikhe,
carved into rocky plateau we
find huge echoing halls,
long meandering
corridor-streets, chambers
for pagan worship and even
the remains of Georgia's
oldest theatre, complete
with auditorium, stage and
orchestra pit. Like the
other cave-towns of Georgia,
it is akin to the similar
rock structures of Urardhu
and the Hittites, which are
rooted in the prehistoric
traditions of the peoples of
the Near East. On the one
side the troglodyte fortress
was protected by the Kura
and an almost vertical rock
face, on the other, by
powerful fortifications. Its
strategic position on the
approaches Gori and, in
particular, its strong
defences made it possible
for it to control the
surrounding terrain.
One should be surprised that
there were numerous attempts
to destroy it. Only in the
13th century, however, did
the hordes of Genghis Khan's
son Khulagu succed in doing
so, after capturing and
destroying many fortresses
in Transcaucasia with the
help of siege machines. The
five thousand inhabitants of
Uplistsikhe perished and
life ended forever in the
fortress.
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Ateni
Sioni Church
is an early 7th-century
Georgian Orthodox church
some 10 km south of Gori. It
stands in a setting of the
Tana River valley known not
only for its historical
monuments but also for its
picturesque landscapes and
wine. The name "Sioni"
derives from Mount Zion at
Jerusalem. Sioni is a
cruciform domed church
(24X19.22 m.) with the
facade furnished with carved
quadrangle greenish-gray
stones, rich decorated
ornaments and relief. The
church is an imitation of
the earlier Jvari Monastery,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site
at Mtskheta, Georgia.
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More details available upon
request.
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