Vardzia

You can find Vardzia in Samtskhe-Javakheti region, 30 kilometers away from town called Aspindza. It is considered one of the best sights in Georgia.
Vardzia is a fortress-city carved in a cliff. The city is huge, there are 365 main caves in it and total amount is about 600. Many of the caves are collapsed, but most remained in excellent condition, especially in the eastern part of the city. Despite its age the city had it’s plumbing system for water supply.
It is pleasant to spend time here wandering through huge underground halls, many tourists visit Vardzia several times.
There is a big Cathedral in the center of Vardzia, it is surrounded by auxiliary buildings like living rooms, warehouses, chapels and even library. Walls of the cathedral are decorated with original frescoes depicting Jesus Christ, as well as faces of Queen Tamar and King George III.
There are many legends and stories about Vardzia associated with the reign of Queen Tamar.
One legend tells that the great Georgian Queen Tamar spent every day in different chambers so that the enemy could not figure out where exactly she was. Such precautions were taken because Vardzia is located directly at the southern border of Georgia and has always defended the country from enemy attacks. Here many brave monks gave their lives to protect home country, faith and culture.