#cave city

[sixteenseveredhands]

Vardzia, a Medieval Cave City in Georgia (South Caucasus), built in 1150-1200 CE: Vardzia was designed to be used as a fortress/monastery; it was accessible only through hidden passageways, and it contained more than 6,000 caves, 15 chapels, 25 wine cellars, an apothecary, a forge, a bakery, farming terraces, and an irrigation system

The monastic caves at Vardzia cover an area of about 500 meters. They are carved into the cliffs along the Erusheti mountains, which are located in Javakheti (a southern province near the borders between Georgia, Turkey, and Armenia).

Vardzia was originally meant to serve as a fortress, particularly in the event of a Mongol Invasion. It was protected by defensive walls, and the cave system itself was largely concealed within the mountain (though much of it is now exposed); it also contained a secret escape tunnel and several dead-end tunnels that were designed to delay/confuse enemy forces. The cave city could only be accessed through a series of hidden passageways that began near the banks of the Mtkvari River (which runs through the valley below the cave complex). Water was supplied through an irrigation system that was connected to the river, providing the inhabitants with both drinking water and agricultural irrigation, as the site contained its own terraced farmland.

The cave complex also functioned as a monastery, with a large collection of manuscripts and relics ultimately being housed at the site.

In its prime, the complex at Vardzia was inhabited by tens of thousands of residents.

Unfortunately, most of the original structures at Vardzia were destroyed by an earthquake that struck the region in 1283 CE, just a century after its construction; the earthquake sheared away the outer layer of the cliffside, exposed many of the caves, and demolished almost two-thirds of the site. The surviving structures represent only a fraction of the cave complex that once existed at Vardzia, with only about 500 caves still intact.

When the earthquake tore through the site in 1283, much of the fortress and many of its defenses were also destroyed, and Vardzia lost most of its military/defensive purposes. Still, it continued to operate as a Georgian Orthodox monastery for several hundred years after that. It narrowly escaped the Mongol Invasions of the 1290s, but it was raided by the Persians during the 16th century; the invading forces burned many of the manuscripts, relics, and other items that were stored within the cave system, leaving permanent scorch marks along the walls of the inner chambers. The site was abandoned shortly thereafter.

Medieval portrait of Queen/King Tamar: this portrait is one of the Medieval frescoes that still decorate the inner chambers of Vardzia; Tamar was the first queen regnant to rule over Georgia, meaning that she possessed the same power/authority as a king and, as a result, some Medieval sources even refer to her as "King Tamar"

Vardzia is often associated with the reign of Queen Tamar the Great, who ruled over the Kingdom of Georgia from 1184 to 1213 CE, during a particularly successful period that is often known as the "Golden Age" of Georgian history. Queen Tamar was also recognized as the Georgian King, with Medieval sources often referring to her as King Tamar. She possessed the powers of a sovereign leader/queen regnant, and was the first female monarch to be given that title in Georgia.

The initial phases of construction at Vardzia began under the command of King George III, but most of the complex was later built at the behest of his daughter, Queen Tamar, who owned several dedicated rooms at Vardzia and frequently visited the cave city. Due to her relationship with the cave complex at Vardzia, Queen Tamar is sometimes also referred to as the "Mountain Queen."

Despite the damage that the site has sustained throughout its history, many of the caves, tunnels, frescoes, and other structures have survived. The site currently functions as a monastery once more, with Georgian monks living in various chambers throughout the cave system.

I visited Vardzia back in 2011, during my first trip to Georgia. It's an incredible site, though some of the tunnels are very narrow, very dark, and very steep, which can get a bit claustrophobic.

Sources & More Info:

Atlas Obscura: Vardzia Cave Monastery

CNN: Exploring Vardzia, Georgia's Mysterious Rock-Hewed Cave City

Lonely Planet: Vardzia

Globonaut: 5 Facts about Vardzia, Georgia's Hidden Cave City

Wander Lush: Vardzia Cave Monastery (complete visitor's guide)

#archaeology #anthropology #history #vardzia #georgia #caucasus #cave city #cave complex #monastic caves #artifact #architecture #military history #Tamar #religon #comparative religion #medieval fortress #middle ages #medieval church #medieval europe #travel #I think I'd need #all 25 wine cellars #just to get through a Mongol invasion

[nyc-looks]

Dame, 25

“I’m wearing a vintage Harley Davidson long sleeve, a textured button-up I got from Zara, some military tactical flight pants, a Ford hat my cousin gave me, and some custom boots from my homie Cave City. My style is usually just going for a mix of a militant or sporty look with a touch of country – then I think „how can I make it a little sexy’.”

Mar 18, 2023 ∙ Williamsburg

#nyc looks #street style #street snap #street fashion #mens street style #mens style #mens outfit #vintage clothing #vintage #harley davidson #cave city

[unteriors]

Antioch Road, Cave City, Arkansas.

#Cave City #Arkansas

[lesoreillesouvertes]

J’avais prévenu ! Une ribambelle de lieu en plastique et carton pâte, d’attractions improbables. Sauf 3 bar,café et pizzeria à Cave city qui sont tout beaux, tout neuf et qui cartonnent, enfin qui ont du succès et qui servent des choses délicieuses.

#cave city #horse cave motel #Kentucky #travel #dinosaur world #haunted hotel #mammoth cave #holidays #usa #loveamerica #love #downtown #art #oldies

[rabbitcruiser]

American Civil War: The Confederate States of America accepted a rival state government’s pronouncement that declared Kentucky to be the 13th state of the Confederacy on December 10, 1861.  

#American Civil War #US Civil War #Kentucky #10 December 1861 #travel #anniversary #US history #summer 2016 #Mammoth Cave National Park #flora #woods #landscape #cityscape #original photography #vacation #Cave City #Wigwam Village Inn 2 #Kentucky's Stonehenge #Munfordville #Bowling Green #architecture #National Corvette Museum #tourist attraction #landmark #roadside atrraction #USA

[rebirthofartemis]

I-75 Photo Dump: 2021

#Lake Michigan #Grand Haven #Michigan #Jefferson #Indiana #Cohutta #Georgia #Cave City #Kentucky #St George Island #Bonita springs #Florida #travel #wanderlust #I-75 #mine

[mezzy-1]

Ngl this underground city got me going absolutely crazy. Like my inner Dwarf just went wild. I could spend days here just hanging out in the haven that is a cave. Rock and Stone!

So I went to Derinkuyu and enjoyed it immensely. It’s an underground city from the Byzantine Era that has a lot of rooms and cramped halls. In some areas the lights were out so exploring it was kind of scary. In all I loved it but it’s like Minecraft cave levels of creepy in some spots. Great place to see some archeological treasures! (Or get lost in a cave for 20 minutes like I did)

#derinkuyu #turkey #turkish culture #turkiye #underground #underground city #rock and stone #minecraft #cave #caves #cave city #byzantine #unesco #world heritage #travel #minecraft cave noises would cause my soul to wither and die down there I kid u not

[asdaricus]

More of the ruined cave cities like what I had two days ago. It uses blend and that fabulous picture by Marc Simonetti. By Midjourney

#AI Art #Midjourney #Cave City #Marc Simonetti

[thelemoncoffee]

i had a really funky Au idea. What if Saiouma but they lived in a massive undegeound cave fae/elf/high fantasy kingdom that's kinda fucked up and classist?

The Kingdom has three sectors; the high up area atop the giany rock formations where all the ritch smucks live, the middle class that has buildings built around and in the sides of the rocks, and the poor areas at the bottom that frequently get threatened by the water in the basin rising and flooding their houses. any farming would be off the far walls of the caves on flattend out areas to have plently of room for green houses and barns, high enough not to be threatened by the water, but low enough they're still below the ritch areas. everything is connected with massive bridges above and small boats in the basin below.

our two nerds are in a bit of a forbiddin romance situation here; Shuichi living in the highest level's fancy city atop eveything, and Kokichi thriving the lowest level's over crowded and musty slums. they met by chance one day when Shuichi snuck out to check out the market he heard the middle level was setting up, and Kokichi climbing up to fuck shit up for the thrill of it.

They happened across one another in the middle of the market and Kokichi- having never met someone from so high up before- decided this was the perfect opprotunity to get on this guy's nerves as a passive agressive middle finger to the whole class. The problem was Shuichi wasn't nearly as phased as he expected him to be, and he actually seemed to be enjoying Kokichi's antics. Curious to see where this would go, Kokichi managed to convince Shuichi to come down again later when it was less busy to talk with him more- and oh god was that the best mistake he ever made.

Over the course of a few months they frequently met up at the half way point of of middle level to chat, getting more and more infatuated with one another the longer they hung out- Kokichi even getting Shuichi to come down to the lowest level to see his favorite hangout spots. Shuichi is of course very concerned by the poor conditions of the lowest level, but he doesn't really have the athority to do much about it so he makes the best of it with Kokichi while there. Kokichi never tries to visit Shuichi though- mostly in fear of what would happen if a guard caught him

Eventually they find themselves absolutly in love with one another and end up getting together, slinking off while alone to hang out and hiding their relationship just as they use to their friendship. They share kisses in their hidden away secret spots, hanging out on the lower bridges to get as good of veiw as they can of the city.

just big pretty fantasy cave city go brrrr

#danganronpa #ndrv3 #danganronpa v3 #kokichi ouma #shuichi saihara #saiouma #au prompt #au idea #au #fantasy au #fantasy elves #cave city #fucking classisim i guess? #kai prompts

[cyeria]

sand cave

#naturecore #witchcore #cottagecore #nature #forestcore #forest #nature hikes #springtime #nature photography #flowercore #sand caves #sand cave #cave city #Kentucky #above mammoth caves #mammoth cave #mammoth caves #mammoth cave system #mammoth cave trail #400 mile cave system #cave system #caves #cave #nature aesthetic #bear habitat #habitat #ecosystem #rocks #stones

[goodjohnjr]

Man In Cave (Reupload)

Man In Cave (Reupload) What Is It? The YouTube video Man In Cave (Reupload) by the YouTube channel Internet Historian: Man In Cave (Reupload) Here is the description for this video: Get World of Tanks on PC: https://tanks.ly/3CtpWxY It’s actually good. Give it a go. It’s free. Synopsis: Man goes in cave. He gets stuck. A chronological retelling of the story of Floyd Collins. This…

View On WordPress

#Cave #Cave City #Cave City Kentucky #Floyd Collins #History #Internet Historian #Kentucky #Lucas Reilly #Man In Cave #Man In Cave (Reupload) #Robert K. Murray #Video #William Floyd Collins #YouTube

[goldpilot22]

cave city map (darker is lower)

color coded version featuring river

#artists on tumblr #map #maps #cave #psii.txt #my art #cataclysm #cave city #it's wheelchair accessible btw

[found-in-nomadland]

Dinosaur World

Cave City, Kentucky ✨

#travel #digital nomad #dinosaur #dinosaur world #cave city #kentucky

[sittinwithyou]

Some facades show the true side of a town.

#black and white #digital photography #cave city

[lesoreillesouvertes]

Un retour dans le Kentucky, intense !

Me voilà dans un ancien village Shaker, une secte du 19e siècle dans laquelle vivaient hommes et femmes, de toutes les couleurs dans l'égalité (apparemment) puisque "Dieu nous a créé à son image, tous égaux..."

Dans une une immense maison de 4 étages, vivaient une centaines de Shakers, les femmes du coté ouest, le hommes du coté est. A table, c'est pareil, chacun·e de son coté ! Je n'ai pas compris à quel moment ils arrivent à faire des enfants cela dit.

Le travail était pour eux et elles une prière, un autre moment dédié à Dieu et iels étaient vraiment doué·es pour un max de trucs. Si vous avez un meuble fabriqué par des Shaker, c'est devenu hors de prix. Ils ont aussi inventé ce balai mythique en paille.

Le village comptait 200 bâtiments avec chacun son utilité : la crèmerie, le fumoir, la fabrique à miel, etc. Le sol jaune, c'est pratique pour retrouver les aiguilles quand on coud ^^

Et puis, une balade marche/course/montée de marches dans le parc de Mammoth Cave avant d'aller dans un motel pour satisfaire mon imaginaire américain ! Je me suis retrouvée à traverser un village en carton pate des années 80 avec des maisons hantées, des monstres et des autres décors improbables qui je croyais, avaient disparus.

#kentucky #cave city #mammoth cave np #shakers'village #historic site #caves #trail #travel #holidays #usa #loveamerica #sunset

[rabbitcruiser]

American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaimed its neutrality on May 20, 1861, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces entered the state.

#American Civil War #Kentucky #neutrality #20 May 1861 #US Civil War #USA #summer 2016 #anniversary #US history #National Corvette Museum #travel #Bowling Green #Mammoth Cave National Park #Cave City #Kentucky's Stonehenge #Wigwam Village Inn 2 #Munfordville #landmark #tourist attraction #roadside attraction #original photography #vacation #cityscape #landscape