Akhaltsikhe

The southern parts of Georgia opens up to a land of forested slopes, expansive canyons and ancient castles. At the center of these lands, Akhaltsike emerges - a moderately sized town of 20,000 people but also one at a crossroads of the Silk Roads. Akhaltsikhe means “New Castle” in reference to the beautiful Rabiti Castle that dominates the city which was first a Christian city established in the 9th century and then later an Islamic fortress under the Ottomans. This castle has a complicated history which is representative of the diversity of this region. Slightly further east lies an even more ancient castle by the name of Khertvisi Fortress, which is certainly one of the oldest in Georgia. Legend has it that Alexander the Great, upon his great conquest eastward, came upon these lands and destroyed this lofty castle.

One of the true hidden treasures of Georgia lies just a few kilometers south - the underground fortress and monastery complex of Vardzia. Caved precariously from a sheer rock face, thousands of interconnected rooms emerge and descend into the rock, creating an ancient labyrinth. When the Mongols were invading the region in 1185, Queen Tamar ordered the construction of a hidden, underground city, creating a safe haven from the enemies. However, a century later, an entirely different enemy in the form of the earthquake left most of the city inhabitable - although some persisted living there until the 16th century. Wandering these stone carved rooms and imagining life those many years ago is a haunting reminder of the extremes mankind have taken to survive.