Many people come to Georgia for the hiking in Svaneti and Kazbegi. I’m not going to kid myself that I’d enjoy that for more than an afternoon. And it is stinking hot; those snowy peaks in the ads won’t be seen for a few months I reckon.
I also didn’t have much time for that, so a day trip to nearby sights out of Tbilisi appeared to be in order.First up was the town of Mtskheta, less than 30 minutes from the minibus station at Dudube (accessible by Metro from the city centre). This ancient town is famous for the 11th Century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. This church is believed to hold the robe that Jesus wore before the crucifixion.
The church is beautifully decorated with frescoes and icons inside but no photographs were permitted. In the Georgian church, a small group standing seemingly informally in a corner will do the singing (acting like a small choir). The atmosphere and music was beautiful.
Georgians are quite religious. I noticed in the minivan rides that as we go past a church, people would make the sign of the cross on themselves. This would happen repeatedly.
My next stop, Gori, is somewhat in the same direction but it was easier to backtrack to Dudube and catch a different minibus or shared taxi. The journey to Gori was entirely on the motorway and took less than an hour.
Gori is famous for being the birthplace of Joseph Stalin. The house that he was born in stands in front of the museum under a concrete shelter. The museum itself houses his old office (imported from the Kremlin) and his life story. The grounds also hold his railway carriage which was converted from the the Romanov’s royal carriage.
It was late afternoon by the time I returned to the hostel. I went to a different sulphur bath today. It proved to be a better choice as the water wasn’t so scorching hot.
Late in the evening, I heard the musical fountain in full blast from the hostel. I decided to go for a wander around town; it wasn’t as busy as central Yerevan. I suspect it’s because people here have more entertainment choices and are more spread out as a result!
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- Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is the mother church of the Georgian Orthodox religion.
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- The Stalin museum with the shed over the house he was born in, in the foreground.
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- Stalin was born in this house; his father was a shoemaker working in the basement.
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- The man himself.
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- Stalin’s carriage formerly belonged to the Romanov family.
