Bullfinch Journeys: Have I been to Azerbaijan? David Gareja.

Traveling around Georgia is always surprising - and this weekend proved to be one more occasion. I have heard a lot about David Gareja, a 'monastery in a desert', and seen photos of it. But it's nothing like the real experience.
We organized this trip with several friends, rented out a minibus (a very comfortable and extremely cheap means of travel! It can cost ~150 GEL, which is nothing if you are 8-12 people) and after 1,5 hours drive reached the hills of David Gareja. The areas around drew emptier with each kilometer, and towards the end of journey one was surrounded by a vast space, almost uninhabited, with wind brushing freely through the low bushes and wide fields of golden grass. It was not the desert that I imagined (you know, sand, no plants, no life) - but certainly could be used for movies about the Wild West, when colonizers were only settling in America. Probably they had the same sense of freedom in those spaces, where there is no living creature around, as far as you can see.

The monastery itself appeared to be a very special place too. Founded in the 6th century, it developed over hundreds of years into a huge complex, stretched over 11 km (or more?), part of which is in the territory of Azerbaijan now. It was not an accident that these monasteries appeared in such a desolated place - harsh environment pleased the monks, who wanted to isolate themselves from worldly distractions. I mostly liked the legend about the spring of water called "David's tears" - I was told that the spring appeared miraculously, after st.David Garejeli was praying for several days from all his heart. It is now the only spring of drinkable water there. Monks were (are?) also collecting rain water - there are beds cut in stone for it to run in deep holes downhill.
When you look around inside, it is hard to imagine how monks could live there, in cells of stone. And yet, next to more modern parts of buildings, there are numerous caves, some of which seem inhabited. They are not very big, carved alongside the hills, and sometimes separated by low walls from the curious tourists. It doesn't always stop them :) I saw one monk trying to get several teenagers-explorers go down, they were climbing up the stone slopes straight to monk cells! :)

They say, visiting David Gareja three times equals going once to Jerusalem


I was surprised to discover that monks have solar batteries


Some parts of the monastery are more modern

But that was where adventure just started - to see the whole beauty, you must go hiking over the hill to Azerbaijan border! It is good to train or exercise a little before this trip, but even my lazy muscles handled it. We asked a month the way and started climbing, up and up the winding path. There are usually some more people on this path, so no chances to get lost. But - there are chances to fall and break your leg. Even worse - to fall to Azerbaijan and become illegal injured person!
It is interesting how the two countries divided this place. It seems Georgians were offering some other territories to Azerbaijan, in exchange to surroundings of David Gareja, but Azeris refused. For one, they don't want to loose the hills around, which they think are strategic for defense (in case Georgians would think of smth nasty). But another reason is even more interesting - it appeared this territory was home to ancient Albanians (I am not sure if they have anything to do with nowadays Albania....), whom Azeris claim to be their ancestors. When you think about it, it is natural, that Azerbaijan would not give up their 'ancient lands' so easily. The ethnic mix up of the Caucasus......

When you climb up the hill and reach the peak of it, you have to go a little down on the other side to reach another part of the monastery (or - another monastery, as several of them were founded just next to each other). The path goes around, encircling both parts, so you don't have to return the same way. Which is a good thing - even though the views are impressive, it is so steep and dangerous to walk there! There are no safety measures, no fence, no rope, only metal sticks, which probably were connected by some rope some time ago. Now they mainly mark the path, so you would be sure where to go. There were some scary moments up there, especially when there was slippery sand on the path, or strong wind pushed us harder.

But it was SO worth it! The caves on the other side continue through the whole hill-side, and some of them have frescoes from 11-13 century! It is amazing touch of history, which you can feel so personally, so intimately, without museum glass. Even though with a little thrill of danger.