Tsamebuli Cave Monastery (David Gareja)
Tsamebuli Monastery (“Martyrs”) (Georgian: გარეჯის წამებულის მონასტერი). An ancient monastery carved into the rock, where the bones of martyred monks are kept. One of the cave complexes of the David Gareja monasteries, dates back to the 6th-13th centuries. The hard-to-reach three-tiered complex is carved into the ridge of a 300-meter mountain. Today, 12 caves have survived, including four temples, a burial vault and monks’ cells, separate rooms for various functional purposes.
All cave churches are hall-type and traces of frescoes are visible. Relatively better painting has been preserved only in one temple – in the “Kharitonov cauldron”, which must date back to the 10th-11th centuries. On the northern side of the main temple, a wall 130-140 cm high gives the impression of a sarcophagus – the bones of martyred monks are stacked in it. Another cave hall, which was supposed to be a refectory, attracts attention. It is distinguished by its special scale, since cauldrons of such sizes are rarely found in the David Gareja monastery complexes.
Gareji Desert (Georgian: გარეჯის უდაბნო), Gardavan Municipality (Georgian: გარდაბნის მუნიციპალიტეტი)
