For someone experiencing Georgia for the first time, it is hard to find the right words to accurately describe this country – a land filled with beautiful natural landscapes, a rich tradition of wine-making, and a post-Soviet, orthodox Christian, multi-ethnic society. One of the first places that I visited after arriving in Tbilisi was David Gareja, a monastery built in the 6th century near the current border between Georgia and Azerbaijan.
David Gareja is located about 60km southeast of Tbilisi, accessible mostly by taxi (which is how we got there) – a pleasant, slightly bumpy roadtrip through the Georgian countryside…
With frequent free-range cow sightings…
And passing through an old Soviet ghost town…
More cows – this time walking on a dirt path …
Surreal landscapes
The monastery was built by Davit Garejeli, one of the original Thirteen Assyrian Fathers. The complex is built on the half-desert slopes of Mount Gareja – with many spaces carved out of stone!
Side of the complex:
Cave-like interior quarters:
Entrance to the complex:
Ancient Georgian inscriptions above the entrance:
Outside:
Another Hungry Nomad 
გამარჯობა 🙂 A good news for all travelers and backpackers going to Davit Gareji – from April 14th a taxi will no longer be the only option to get there 🙂 A direct marshrutka called Gareji Line starts to operate everyday from Tbilisi center, and on its way back it stops for a while in “old Soviet ghost town” called Udabno to find out that not only ghosts live there 🙂