THE PILLAR OF KATSKHI

It's a very Georgian idea to build a church in the most impossible place in the area, at the very top of this sandstone fairy chimney, which dominates the surrounding valley from a vertical wall some forty meters above. But the result is an extraordinary site! With such a configuration, the peak, topped by a hermitage as early as the ^9th century, is shrouded in symbolism and legend. The locals call it the "Pillar of Life" and identify it with the true Cross. The plateau above the Katskhi pillar is perfectly flat and covers an area of 150^m2. It contains the ruins of the hermitage church and ^13th-century paleographic inscriptions. In the mid-2010s, two"maranis" - wine cellars - were rediscovered, indicating the presence of ascetic monks well-equipped to live in autarky. The site, linked in chronicles to the stylites, a branch of early Christian asceticism, was resacralized in the early 1990s. In 2009, a government program enabled the monks to rebuild a Byzantine-style basilica.

It is absolutely forbidden to climb to the top of the Katskhi pillar - a sign clearly states this - especially as it is very dangerous. Only monks have access to the monastery. Nevertheless, the view of this amazing construction is breathtaking, even without reaching the top, rest assured. It's an exceptional site that you won't want to miss when you visit Tchiatoura.