A troglodyte town in the Caucasus

Uplistsikhe, which translates to "the lord's fortress," is an ancient rock-hewn town located in eastern Georgia, about 10 kilometers east of the town of Gori, Shida Kartli. The town is built on the high rocky left bank of the Mtkvari River and contains various structures dating from the Early Iron Age to the Late Middle Ages. Uplistsikhe is notable for its unique combination of various styles of rock-cut cultures from Anatolia and Iran, as well as the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture. The town is identified by archaeologists as one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia. Strategically located in the heartland of the ancient kingdom of Kartli (or Iberia as it was known to the Classical authors), it emerged as a major political and religious center of the country.

With the Christianisation of Kartli early in the 4th century, Uplistsikhe seems to have declined in its importance and lost its position to the new centers of Christian culture – Mtskheta and, later Tbilisi. However, it continued to develop as a town, and the first Christian basilica was constructed in the 6th century. In the 19th century, Uplistsikhe was lost under layers of dirt and sand but was later revived through the efforts of many experts in its excavation, cleaning, strengthening, restoration, and studying. Today, it is listed among the historical monuments protected by UNESCO.