The legends of Vardzia
The construction of the fortress town carved into the rock was started by King George III, who ruled Georgia from 1156 to 1184. The period of his reign together with his daughter and successor Tamar, is referred to as the Golden Age of Georgia.
It was an era of great diplomatic success, military triumph, but also cultural and artistic prosperity in Georgia. The construction of the fortress was completed by Queen Tamar, who changed the original military fortress into a fortified monastery. Although construction works in and around Vardzia cave monastery went on until the beginning of the 13th century, the complex was consecrated in the name of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on August 15th, 1185.
The name “Vardzia” derives from a legend. King George and his brother were out hunting in the area, taking the king’s young daughter Tamar along. George told his daughter to play in the caves and wait for the men to come back. When they did, Tamar was nowhere to be found. They went all over the place, searching for her. “Tamar, where are you?”, shouted the king’s brother. “Ak var, dzia”, the girl replied in Georgian, which means in English: “I am over here, Uncle!”
Not only would little Tamar play here as a little girl, but she also lived here for some time later on, as Queen Tamar, the successful ruler of the country.
And there is another legend: originally the construction works for the Vardzia complex started on the other side of river Mtkwari. But the rock was crumbling, and the intersection of caves was complicated and dangerous. One evening the workers left their tools at the construction site. When they returned the next morning, they found them on the other side of the river. This happened for three days in a row, until the workers decided to restart construction on the mountainside, where the famous Vardzia cave city can be seen today.
Picture Credits: beyondarts GmbH
Project “Increased regional added value in the tourism sectors of Georgia by Digital Heritage Tourism Guides” was funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation.
