Didi Kvabebi Cave Monastery (Region of Kakheti)
Monastery complex Didi Kvabebi (“Big Cauldrons” (caves)) (Georgian: გარეჯის დიდი ქვაბების სამონასტრო კომპლექსი) – The rather spacious Complex is located on 5-6 floors and is one of the cave complexes of the monasteries of David Gareji (Gareja). The upper caves are almost completely destroyed, only agricultural warehouses remain in the depths, and the caves below are almost completely covered with a layer of washed away earth. Two cave churches have been preserved at an impregnable height. The dome-shaped churches probably belong to the transition period. The first church was connected to the large church by a long corridor, of which only the northern wall has been preserved.
The Didi Kvabebi monastery complex, although badly damaged, impresses the visitor with its scale. A large number of fragments of ceramic vessels can be found in the complex. To the south of the mentioned church, on the plain, in stone boxes in the rock layer, there must be a monastery cemetery. Down on the Iori river (Georgian: იორი) terrace, traces of wild vines can still be found. A small spring in a nearby ravine was used for drinking. It is likely that the monastery complex was no longer active in the late Middle Ages, as no additional buildings can be observed. Today, the caves are difficult to access and only some of them can be reached without special equipment.
Gareji Desert (Georgian: გარეჯის უდაბნო), Sagarejo Municipality (Georgian: საგარეჯოს მუნიციპალიტეტი)