SATORGE MONASTERY

Satorge monastery

Troglodyte Monastery of Satorge (David Gareja)

Satorge Monastery (Georg. გარეჯის სატორგეს მონასტერი), one of the monastic complexes of David Gareja, carved into the rock of Mount Kajiri, is located on the right bank of the Iori River, adjacent to the Dali reservoir. The main temple of the complex, a domed temple carved into the rock, is a unique monument of architecture and artistic decoration. Such a three-tiered dome is nowhere to be found in known rock-cut churches.

The church has a quadrangular shape and is connected with the rest of the churches by a door carved into the rock. Today, the door and adjacent caves are littered with rubble of limestone. The east side of the church has collapsed and the form of the altar cannot be restored. The current state of the church is quite difficult and the risk of its complete destruction is high. Due to its geographical position, it is very likely that the Satorge complex performed a military-strategic function in a certain episode of history.

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