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Short tours and excursions
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Kutaisi Tour |
Short tour (2
days) |
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Kutaisi
– antique Kutaia.
In certain historical
periods it was the second
capital of Georgia after
Tbilisi according to
largeness. According to the
legend about Golden Fleece,
Kutaisi is that very land
where the epic legend of the
Argonauts was acted out. In
the 6th century BC, the
tribes of western Georgia
formed a state, the Kingdom
of Colchis, lying along the
east coast of the Black Sea.
The legend tells of the
courageous Hellenes who led
by Jason, crossed the
Straits of the Dardanelles
and the Bosphorous and
reached the shores of the
Kingdom of Colchis where the
powerful King Aeetes
reigned, and where the
golden fleece was kept.
Ancient Colchis held the
secret of how to obtain
gold; the discovery of this
secret and the acquisition
of the golden fleece was the
Argonauts' quest.
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Bagrati Church –
(11th c). It is an old
architectural monument of
Kutaisi. Nowadays only ruins
are left from the
church. One of the UNESCO
heritage sites.
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Gelati Complex
comprises the churches of
the Virgin (the main
church), of St Nicolas, of
St. George, as well as the
academy which was the centre
of cultural and spiritual
life. The Gelaty monastery
complex was founded by King
David the Builder in the
12th c. It is noted by the
finest examples of Georgian
mural painting. Among them
is the only surviving
portrait of King David the
Builder whose grave can be
found at the gateway of the
monastery. The giant 12th
century mosaic of the Virgin
with Child is completely
unique.
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Motsameta Monastery
Complex (8th-11th cc) is
beautifully situated between
the valleys of two rivers
near Kutaisi. In the 8th
century, brothers David and
Konstantine Mkheidzes, the
Lords of the region, were
assassinated here by Arabs,
for refusing to convert to
Islam. The old church was
destroyed. A present
monastery complex was built
on the site of the old
church by King Bagrat in
11th century. "Motsameta"
monastery means "monastery
of martyrs". The sacred
remains of the brothers are
kept in the Crypt of the
church.
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Sataplia Cave
is a rather small
one, famous for fine
speleothems and the dinosaur
footprints nearby. The tour
enters the through-cave on
one hillside, crosses the
hill underground and then
goes back on the surface
past the dinosaur
footprints. This cave is
hard to reach and not very
much visited by individual
travelers.
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More details available upon
request.
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