Uplistsikhe Archaeological Site

Address: Uplistsikhe (rock-hewn town), near Gori, Shida Kartli, Georgia

Uplistsikhe is an ancient rock-hewn town in Shida Kartli, Georgia, carved into a limestone ridge above the Mtkvari (Kura) River. It is one of the country’s best-preserved cave settlements with structures stretching across a rocky spur.

Uplistsikhe was founded in the early Iron Age and developed into an important political and religious centre through antiquity and the medieval period. Over time it incorporated wooden and stone-built elements alongside the cave complex and remained in use until changes in trade routes and regional power shifted activity elsewhere.

The hilltop complex overlooks the Mtkvari River about 10 kilometres from the town of Gori in central Georgia, set within cultivated lowlands and approached by local roads from surrounding towns.

• Proximity to Gori: Situated about 10 kilometres from the modern city of Gori, positioned on a rocky outcrop above the Mtkvari (Kura) River.
• Long occupational sequence: Cave structures date back to the early Iron Age and include both pagan and Christian-period constructions visible across the site.

What to See#

• Rock-hewn theatre: A carved rock theatre cut into the slope with stepped seating and a stage area used for public gatherings in antiquity.
• Main cave complex: The central complex of connected caves and halls which includes administrative and ceremonial rooms carved directly into the rock face.
• Medieval basilica: A medieval basilica carved and built into the complex that illustrates the site’s transition to Christian worship between the early medieval centuries and later use.

Uplistsikhe is located just outside the town of Gori in Shida Kartli. By car it’s a short drive east from central Gori along the Tbilisi-Gori road (the E60); many visitors reach the site by taking a local taxi or minibus (marshrutka) from Gori. From Tbilisi the drive to Gori and onward to Uplistsikhe on the E60 takes around an hour to an hour and a half depending on traffic.

• Visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid the tour buses that arrive from Gori and Tbilisi during midday and to get clearer light on the rock façade.
• Approach Uplistsikhe from Gori (about a 10-15 minute drive) and use the main visitor entrance; the site is compact but spread over exposed rock, so allow time to move between the main chambers.
• Look for the rock‑hewn theatre and the river‑facing viewpoints - these provide the clearest sense of the site's scale and its position above the Mtkvari (Kura) valley, features many visitors miss when rushing through.