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In Georgia at Vardzia, two journalists take us to discover a monastic complex carved into the rock at an altitude of over 1,300 meters.
It is a place out of time. Between the abandoned fortresses lies Vardzia, jewel of Georgia formed in 12th century. The cliff is one hundred meters high and five hundred meters long, made up of 600 man-made caves. It is in this sacred place that the nuns devote themselves to prayer, just like their ancestors, following the example of King Tamar. In this monastery, mass is still celebrated there according to the Orthodox Christian rite.
Vardzia, it is also a turbulent history. The cliffs suffered from Persian invasions, Ottoman conquests, Soviet times, and even a natural disaster. An earthquake in the 13th century destroyed most of the place. Today, the monks wanted to preserve part of the monastery from tourists. Everyone has their cell, prays and works with their hands the rest of the day.