GeorgiaOfficial tourism
David Gareja Monastery

Cave prayers carved into silence and stone

David Gareja Monastery

Why go

Founded in the 6th century by St. David Garejeli, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers who shaped Georgian Christianity, this monastery complex stretches across a lunar ridge of the Gareja semi-desert. Its rock-hewn cells, refectories, and churches—some frescoed with extraordinary 10th–13th century murals—were inhabited for centuries by ascetic monks. The site carries the weight of living monastic tradition interrupted only by Soviet closure, then restored. You come for the disorienting beauty: ochre cliffs against impossible blue sky, the Lavra monastery still active with chanting monks, and the sense that human devotion can persist where water barely does.

On the ground See

  • The Lavra Monastery, the still-functioning heart of the complex with its 6th-century church and cave cells where monks reside today
  • The Bertubani Monastery frescoes, including a rare depiction of the Dormition and striking royal portraits from the 13th century
  • The Udabno caves, a ridge-top stretch of abandoned cells and chapels with sweeping views toward Azerbaijan, reached by a steep hour-long hike from Lavra

Practical Know before you go

Visit April–June or September–October; summer heat is extreme and winter access can be impassable—arrange a 4WD from Tbilisi or Sagarejo, as the final 10km is unpaved and often requires walking the last stretch.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly