Uplistsikhe: a city cut from rock before Rome existed

By Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD · 15/09/2026

Updated 17 October 2026

Uplistsikhe means “the lord’s fortress”, and it is the oldest urban settlement in Georgia: people were cutting rooms into this ridge by 1000 BC, and by the 6th century BC it was a town of several thousand, a pagan religious centre and a stop on the trade road between the Black Sea and Persia. It was still lived in when Genghis Khan’s grandson Hulagu destroyed it in the 13th century. Two millennia of habitation, carved rather than built.

What survives

About a tenth of the original town — 150 of an estimated 700 rock-cut structures — on a bare yellow ridge that heats like an oven in summer. A paved street, worn into a channel by centuries of feet, leads up through the town. Off it open the rooms: a great hall with a barrel-vaulted ceiling carved to imitate timber beams, called the queen’s hall for Tamar though she never lived here; a temple with a pit for sacrifices and niches for idols; a pharmacy with rows of small cavities for jars; a theatre, unusual this far east, with a stage and a pit for the orchestra; wine cellars with sunken qvevri holes, proof that the marani is at least as old as the town. Every room has a hearth cut into the floor and a hole above it for the smoke.

At the top is a small 10th-century church, built in brick when the pagan town had become Christian, sitting on the highest point like a full stop. A tunnel — the secret exit — runs from the town down through the rock to the river, and you can walk it.

Why it matters

Uplistsikhe is the Georgia before Christianity, before the alphabet, before Mtskheta was a capital: a Zoroastrian and sun-worshipping town connected to Persia and the steppe, with its own architecture — the imitation of wooden beams in stone shows what the buildings in the plains, long gone, must have looked like. It is also simply the most atmospheric ruin in the country: no fences to speak of, no reconstruction, the wind, the view over the Kura plain to the Caucasus, and the sense of standing where people stood three thousand years before you.

Practical

An hour and a half on the site is right. There is almost no shade — in July and August go early or late, with water and a hat. The rock is smooth and can be slippery; the paths are uneven. The tunnel is dark and low. The site sits fifteen minutes from Gori, and the two go together: the ancient town in the morning, Gori’s fortress and its notorious museum in the afternoon.

See it with GTour

Uplistsikhe is the centre of the Gori & Uplistsikhe day trip, the first stop on the road west in the Kutaisi & Western Georgia tour, and day six of Georgia in 7 days.

This story in Georgian — ქართულად: shenidasveneba.ge

Quick answers

What does the name Uplistsikhe mean? Uplistsikhe means 'the lord's fortress'. It is the oldest urban settlement in Georgia, with rooms cut into the ridge dating back to 1000 BC.

How old is Uplistsikhe and when was it destroyed? People began carving rooms into the ridge by 1000 BC, and by the 6th century BC it had grown into a town of several thousand people. It remained inhabited for two millennia until Hulagu, grandson of Genghis Khan, destroyed it in the 13th century.

How much of the original town survives today? About a tenth of the original town survives, roughly 150 of an estimated 700 rock-cut structures, set on a bare yellow ridge. A worn paved street leads up through the remaining rooms.

What notable structures can visitors see at Uplistsikhe? Highlights include a great hall with a barrel-vaulted ceiling carved to imitate timber beams (called the queen's hall for Tamar, though she never lived there), a pagan temple with a sacrifice pit, a pharmacy with jar niches, an unusual rock-cut theatre, and ancient wine cellars with qvevri holes. A small 10th-century brick church sits at the highest point, and a secret tunnel runs from the town down to the river.

Why is Uplistsikhe historically significant? It represents Georgia before Christianity, before the alphabet, and before Mtskheta became a capital, as a Zoroastrian and sun-worshipping town linked to Persia and the steppe. Its carved imitation of wooden beams also reveals what long-vanished plains architecture once looked like.

How much time should visitors plan for Uplistsikhe, and what should they bring? About an hour and a half on site is recommended, with little shade available, so visitors should go early or late in summer with water and a hat. The rock can be slippery and the tunnel is dark and low, so sturdy footing and caution are advised.

How can Uplistsikhe be combined with other sights nearby? The site sits fifteen minutes from Gori, making it easy to pair the ancient town in the morning with Gori's fortress and museum in the afternoon. It also features in GTour's Gori & Uplistsikhe day trip, the Kutaisi & Western Georgia tour, and day six of the Georgia in 7 days itinerary.