Udabno Cave Monastery (David Gareja)
Udabno Monastery (“Desert”) (Georgian: გარეჯის უდაბნოს მონასტერი) – The monastery is located on a mountain ridge next to the David Gareja Lavra. It was formed as a branch of the Lavra in the 9th-10th centuries. The southeastern part of the main rock temple in the name of the Mother of God is completely destroyed and fragments of frescoes were found in the ruins. Next to the main temple is a refectory, where stone tables are carved in two rows into the rock. In the basement near the refectory, large jugs are stored. The monastery complex includes caves and rooms for various purposes. The monastery also includes the Church of the Resurrection of Christ and a small doorless church located on the eastern side of the complex. On the territory of this temple, 6,000 monks were martyred during the attack of Shah Abbas on Easter night. The bones of the martyrs were later collected and buried in the Church of Tsamebuli, located on the western edge of the complex.
The two-line inscription “Asomtavruli” states that the wall painting was made in 983. On the northern wall, the laity and the clergy are depicted in two groups. Among other monuments of the complex, it is worth noting the churches of the Virgin Mary, St. George and St. Nicholas. Their paintings date back to the 12th-13th centuries. The Resurrection Church stands at the highest point of the complex. To the west of the monastery is the rock-cut church of Tsamebuli, where the bones of monks killed by the Persians are preserved. The territory of the Udabno monastery is currently disputed between Georgia and Azerbaijan. The monastery in the Gareji desert is one of the outstanding and highly artistic monuments of Georgian culture, which definitely needs care and due attention.
Gareji Desert (Georgian: გარეჯის უდაბნო), Sagarejo Municipality (Georgian: საგარეჯოს მუნიციპალიტეტი)
