QuoteReplyTopic: Aerial videos of fortresses castles and churches Posted: 09-Dec-2015 at 04:30
Hey everyone,
So I have been working long and hard all summer
to perfect my drone for capturing aerial video and here is some of the
shots I have captured over the summer.
Gonio fortress (Georgian: გონიოს ციხე, previously called Apsaros, or
Apsaruntos), is a Roman fortification in Adjara, Georgia, on the Black
sea, 15 km south of Batumi, at the mouth of the Chorokhi river. The
village sits 4 km north of the Turkish border. The oldest reference
to the fortress is by Pliny the Elder in the Natural History (1st
century AD). There is also a reference to the ancient name of the site
in Appian’s Mithridatic Wars (2nd century AD). In the 2nd century AD
it was a well-fortified Roman city within Colchis. The town was also
known for its theatre and hippodrome. It later came under Byzantine
influence. The name "Gonio" is first attested in Michael Panaretos in
the 14th century. In addition, there was a short-lived Genoese trade
factory at the site. In 1547 Gonio was taken by the Ottomans, who held
it until 1878, when, via the San-Stefano Treaty, Adjara became part of
the Russian empire. The grave of Saint Matthias, one of the twelve
apostles, is believed to be inside the Gonio fortress. However, this is
unverifiable as the Georgian government currently prohibits digging near
the supposed gravesite. Other archaeological excavations are however
taking place on the grounds of the fortress, focusing on Roman layers.
Gonio is currently experiencing a tourism boom. Most tourists come
from Tbilisi in the summer months to enjoy beaches that are generally
regarded as cleaner than Batumi's beaches (located 15 km to the north).
As a guy who have visitted that place. It is nice to see there from air
I am planing to buy a drone, so maybe you can give some tips
Yes sure depending for what are you going to use drone
Petra Fortress (Georgian: პეტრას ციხე) is located in the village of
Tsikhisdziri in the Kobuleti district of Ajara. Built during the 6th
century A.D., it held an important strategic position at the crossroads
of the route linking Georgia with Iran and Armenia. The fortress is one
of the most significant monuments on the entire eastern coast of the
Black Sea. Situated on a rocky outcrop beside the shore of the Black
Sea, Petra was considered to be an impregnable fortress. Its name
originated from the Greek word “Petra” – meaning rock, stone. Some
historians consider the fortress to be the “Hell’s Castle” referred to
in the famous “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin” poem (Georgian:
ვეფხისტყაოსანი) by Shota Rustaveli.Archaeological excavations have
revealed that the site has been settled since at least the Late Bronze
Age.Although the fortress is in ruins today, the remains of a small
hall-style 10th century church can be found in the center of the
complex.A larger basilica-type church did exist on the site and is
believed to be Petra Cathedral Church, which dates to the 6th century.
Samtavro St. Nino’s Monastery was built on the place called ‘Zemo
Ecclesia’ (Upper Church). It was located in the capital city of the
Eastern Georgian Kingdom Iberia Mtskheta in 30s of the 4th
century. The first Christian royal couple - King Mirian and Qween Nana
are buried here. Since the 480s Samtavro became an Episcopal see. Since
the beginning of 19th century it has become a convent.
The present Samtavro Transfiguration Orthodox Church was built in the 1030-1040s in the town Mtskheta.
The preserved mural paintings in the altar conch and in the dome are
dated to the mid-17th century. The archeological excavations revealed
the remains of a large church that had been standing here before
11th century.
Eastwards of the Church there is a small early medieval church of St.
Nino. Its mural paintings are dated to 19th century. On the North of
the Church there is a three storied bell tower of 15-16th centuries. A
cylindrical tower of 18th century is preserved in the wall of the
monastery that was restored in 19th century.
Samtavro convent, together with other historical monuments of
Mtskheta has been inscribed upon the World Heritage List of the
Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural
Heritage since 1994.
For some time Bochorma used to be one the largest fortresses in Kakheti.
It is located at the Gombori Pass on the road from Inner Kakheti to the
capital. Nowadays the ruins of this once magnificent stronghold are
covered by a dense forest of centuries-old trees. Its origin is still
unknown. The first reference dates back to the beginning of the 10th
century. It seems that it underwent multiple changes in later centuries
and reached the age of late feudalism in a sadly damaged state. It is
known that in mid 1700s Erekle II restored Bochorma fortress and it is
the traces of these works we can see now. The old and newer walls of
the fortress have been designed in a way that they followed the highly
sophisticated landscape of the hill, thus making access to the town
extremely difficult for the enemy. The entrance was located in the
eastern side where the fortress is relatively easily accessible. The
fortress has two main parts. The citadel was built on the hill and
served as a residential castle and hub of the stronghold. The now extant
ruins include the remains of a formerly two-storey palace inside the
citadel, with two halls, archs and fireplaces. The citadel also
contained a cylindrical tower that has a good view of the gorges nearby. The
highest point of the fortress is occupied by the King’s Hall connected
with the citadel with a 2 m wide inner lane. The palace offers a truly
unforgettable view. Military importance and security of Bochorma
Fortress cannot be underestimated. In the mid 18th century, when
Kartl-Kakheti Kingdom was frequently invaded by Lezghins, King Erekle II
travelled personally to Kakheti to build Choeti Fortress and restore
and fortify Bochorma. Historical records of the 18th century indicate
that during one of the invasions of the enemy the king himself decided
to send Queen Anna from Martkopi to Bochorma and called on the princes
and lords to use the fortress as a shelter for their families. Archaeological evidence indicates that Bochorma Fortress stayed a functioning fortification until the end of the 18th century.
Nekresi Monastery (Georgian: ნეკრესის მონასტერში) is one of the largest
monastery complexes in the Kakheti region of Georgia and was founded by
St. Abibos Nekreseli, one of the famous thirteen Syrian fathers. Situated
on top of a steep hill overlooking the Alazani valley, the complex
contains various ecclesiastical buildings built at different times,
including: the Blessed Virgin Church (VI-VII century); a basilica-type
church that dates to the IV century (one of the earliest surviving
Christian churches); a two-storey bishop’s palace (IX century); a
four-storey tower (XVI century); and a wine cellar (marani). The
monastery is noted for having withstood the expansion of Zoroastrianism
in Georgia. The bishop of the monastery, Abibos Nekreseli, was sentenced
to death after pouring water on the Zoroaster fire to show it should
not be worshiped as sacred. Nekreseli was canonized for his martyrdom. The
monastery is also famous for repelling an invading Muslim army by
releasing pigs down the mountainside. At the sight of the pigs the
invaders withdrew. To commemorate this event, the Blessed Virgin Church
at the monastery became the only church in Georgia to which a pig can be
sacrificed. The entire monastery complex has been restored and it is
possible to climb the tower, and to enter the monastery churches and
the ancient wine cellar (marani).
Khikhani Fortress (ხიხანის ციხესიმაგრე) in Khulo district of Ajara was
built in the 13th century A.D. Inaccessible from three sides, the
fortress occupied a strategic position and retained its military
function for 700 years. It is believed that the site was originally
occupied by a church (the Church of St. George) built in 1230 A.D. and
the fortress was later built around it. Situated at a height of 2635 meters above sea level the fortress provides spectacular views. Tbel
Abuseridze (Georgian: ტბელი აბუსერისძე) lived at Khikhani. Abuseridze
was a scholar and religious writer, principally known for his treatise,
The Complete Timekeeper, which contains information related to
calendars, dates of ecclesiastic holidays, and tables of moon rise and
moon set. The treatise was the first astronomical work of a theoretical
nature produced in Georgia. Although in ruins today, visitors can see
the remains of the rectangular towers, walls, a bakery, wine storage
area, a water well and a church.
City-fortress Ujarma is situated on the right bank of the river Iori, in
45 km to the east of Tbilisi on Gombory Range. Three main periods of
construction are defined. In the second half of the 5th century, famous
Vakhtang Gorgasal ‘erected numerous buildings in Ujarma’ and moved his
residence there. After Vakhtang’s death, his heir Dachi was ruling
Kakheti for some period from here. In the 10th century Ujarma was
destroyed by Arabian forces of Abul Kassim. In the 13th century, the
fortress was restored by King George III, where he arranged treasury. City-fortress consists of two parts: citadel, located on the plateau of the rocky hill and city on the slope. City
was surrounded by the powerful protective wall with nine quadrangular
towers. The towers are three-storied, covered by tiled roof with
loop-holes. City gates were in the first tower. A royal palace –
two-storied building with a vault - was located in the eastern part of
citadel. Premises were illuminated by big and broad windows and they had
hanging balconies. In the middle part of the citadel was ancient
church ‘Jvar-Patiosani’ (Church of the Fair Cross). There were dwelling
outhouses opposite the church and big reservoirs to keep water. The
whole main system of protection was established in the epoch of Vakhtang
Gorgasal. Ujarma is referred to the best samples of fortification
constructions of the ancient Georgia. In the second period (12th
century) the destroyed walls were restored and new fortifications and
dwelling places were constructed. The third period (17th – 18th cc) was represented restoration of destroyed parts of the citadel’s walls.
In a several dozen kilometers from Tbilisi, a monastery founded by
father Anton of Martkopi in the 6th century is to be found. He spent the
last 15 years of his life there. He lived as a hermit, what is implied
by the "of Martkopi” designation in Georgian. From this designation came
the name of the Georgian village Akriani, which initially was called
Martodmkopeli and later Martkopi. The monastery itself is situated on
the most beautiful slope of Mount Ialno. The main building is the
church of the Divine-Made Icon. The remains of an ancient foundation
indicate that on the place of the contemporary cathedral there was an
ancient cathedral of greater size, but for some reason in was destroyed.
On the threshold of the XVII-XVIII centuries it was reconstructed and
the belfry, which was constructed in 1629 by master Akhverd, belongs to
this period. In the XVII century the ancient frescos were destroyed and
in 1848-1855 under the leadership of Ivane Arjevanidze, the monastery
was restored. For a long time, a Divine-Made image brought by St
Anton of Martkopi from Edessa was stored at the monastery. But in 1395
it was lost during the Tamerlane invasion. The most sacred place of
the monastery is the tomb of St Anton of Martkopi, which has been
preserved to this day and is considered miraculous. East of the
monastery there is a tower where evidently resided the saint. Famous
dates of renowned people of Georgia are associated with the monastery.
In this cathedral was married Alexander Chavchavadze, father of
Ekaterine Dadiani – the last Queen of Samegrelo, and Nina Chavchavadze
Griboedova. Residents: monks and novices Address: 5km northwest of the Martkopi village, slope of the Ialno Mountain
I use aerial photos to locate possible Native American sites in my region of NJ.
There are several websites that maintain archives going back to the 30's.
"Arguing with someone who hates you or your ideas, is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter what move you make, your opponent will walk all over the board and scramble the pieces".
Unknown.
I use aerial photos to locate possible Native American sites in my region of NJ.
There are several websites that maintain archives going back to the 30's.
Thank you
Gremi (Georgian: გრემი) is a 16th-century architectural monument – the
royal citadel and the Church of the Archangels – in Kakheti, Georgia.
The complex is what has survived from the once flourishing town of Gremi
and is located east of the present-day village of the same name in the
Kvareli district, 175 kilometers east of Tbilisi, capital of Georgia.
History Gremi
was the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti in the 16th and 17th
centuries. Founded by Levan of Kakheti, it functioned as a lively
trading town on the Silk Road and royal residence until being razed to
the ground by the armies of Shah Abbas I of Persia in 1615. The town
never regained its past prosperity and the kings of Kakheti transferred
their capital to Telavi in the mid-17th century. There was big Armenian
population. The Russian diplomat Fedor Volkonsky, who was here in the
17th century, said: "Armenians have own church and market behind one was
other church". He also said about 10 Armenian churches near the palace
of king.
The town appears to have occupied the area of
approximately 40 hectares and to have been composed of three principal
parts – the Archangels’ Church complex, the royal residence and the
commercial neighborhood. Systematic archaeological studies of the area
guided by A. Mamulashvili and P. Zak’araia were carried out in 1939-1949
and 1963-1967, respectively. Since 2007, the monuments of Gremi have
been proposed for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Architecture The
Archangels’ Church complex is located on a hill and composed of the
Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel itself, a three-story
castle, a bell tower and a wine cellar (marani). It is encircled by a
wall secured by embrasures, turrets and towers. Remains of the secret
tunnel leading to the Ints’obi River have also survived. The Church
of the Archangels was constructed at the behest of King Levan of Kakheti
(r. 1520–1574) in 1565 and frescoed by 1577. It is a cruciform domed
church built chiefly of stone. Its design marries traditional Georgian
masonry with a local interpretation of the contemporary Iranian
architectural taste.[2] The building has three entrances, one facing
west, one facing to the south, and the third facing to the north. The
interior is crowned with a dome supported by the corners of the
sanctuary and two basic piers. The façade is divided into three arched
sections. The dome sits on an arcaded drum which is punctured by eight
windows. The bell-tower also houses a museum where several
archaeological artifacts and the 16th-century cannon are displayed. The
walls are adorned with a series of portraits of the kings of Kakheti by
the modern Georgian painter Levan Chogoshvili (1985).
Khikhani Fortress (ხიხანის ციხესიმაგრე) in Khulo district of Ajara was
built in the 13th century A.D. Inaccessible from three sides, the
fortress occupied a strategic position and retained its military
function for 700 years. It is believed that the site was originally
occupied by a church (the Church of St. George) built in 1230 A.D. and
the fortress was later built around it. Situated at a height of 2635 meters above sea level the fortress provides spectacular views. Tbel
Abuseridze (Georgian: ტბელი აბუსერისძე) lived at Khikhani. Abuseridze
was a scholar and religious writer, principally known for his treatise,
The Complete Timekeeper, which contains information related to
calendars, dates of ecclesiastic holidays, and tables of moon rise and
moon set. The treatise was the first astronomical work of a theoretical
nature produced in Georgia. Although in ruins today, visitors can see
the remains of the rectangular towers, walls, a bakery, wine storage
area, a water well and a church.
“Bebris Tsikhe" is an early to mid centuries castle in Kartli. It used
to block the north side road of Aragvi ravine, this road went to
Mtskheta. Vakhushti Bagrationi called it 'Belta Fortress.' The main
part of the fortress was a citadel, which was surrounded by a triangular
yard. There used to be three castles at three angles. There is
archaeological evidence that there are antique and feudal age layers.
According
to legend, this castle once belonged to a noble man named Simon. Simon
had two children. One of his children was the beautiful Makrine and
the other the heartless Mamuka. After the death of Simon, Mamuka
charged local peasants at a high tax rate. Makrine felt sorry for the
peasants, and asked Mamuka to lower their tax rate. Mamuka became
furious at the request and locked Makrine in the castle. One day,
while some very watery and tasteless soup was being made for the
peasants, a group of crows fell into the saucepans. Peasants poured all
the soup away. Mamuka became very angry at seeing the waste of food.
Mamuka began to chase the peasants. Suddenly snakes came out of the saucepans and began circling Mamuka. Mamuka feared for his life, and called out to God: “Help me and I will build you a church!” Makrine
witnessed this entire episode and began to pray. God heard this prayer
and Mamuka and Makrine began living a religious life. Makrine became a
nun and Mamuka became a monk. Makrine ended up dying at 70 years of
age. On the day of her funeral, a white bearded man visited her body,
kissed her forehead, and said: “My sister, we have fulfilled our
promise!” After saying these words, he fell down and died. This is
why this fortress is called “Bebris Tsikhe,” which means “The Elder’s
Fortress.” That's the legend of Bebris Tsikhe.
Surami Fortress Subsequently, Surami declined but retained its lively
trading post as well as the fortress which was reconstructed in the
16th and 17th centuries. By the mid-18th century, according to Prince
Vakhushti, Surami had 200 households of Georgians, Armenians and Jews.
In the 1740s, Surami was used by Prince Givi Amilakhvari as his base
against King Teimuraz II and Persians. After the prince’s surrender in
1745, the fortress was demolished, but later restored and exploited by
the Russo-Georgian troops in anti-Ottoman operations during the
Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). After the Russian annexation of Georgia
in 1801, Surami housed a military post and was later popularized as a
mountain climatic resort. In 1926, it acquired the status of "urban-type
settlement"
The Legend of the Suram Fortress An old legend
has it that the walls of the Surami Fortress owe their sturdiness to the
fact that they have a man buried within them – a mother’s only child by
the name of Zurab. According to the legend’s narrative, the original
builders had constant trouble putting up the walls of the fortress. No
matter how well they built it, the walls kept crumbling for no apparent
reason. A fortune-teller told them that the walls would not hold unless a
young man, an only child, was bricked up within them. It was very hard
for Zurab’s mother to part with her son, but she agreed to it out of
love for her homeland (and a probably touch of old-fashioned pagan
beliefs). She was present as her son was being buried alive by workers,
calling to him until he was no longer able to respond. True to the
prophecy, the walls of the fortress held after Zurab’s sacrifice.
Today...and by the way all the above pics are excellent references...aerial photography, be it traditionally historically based; or 'sat' relay computer enhanced; remains a mainstay for target identification-selection and eradication by military forces. And innumerable uses by intel agencies and training institutions.
Lots of dead Islamist terrorists courtesy of the concept.
amen.
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"
S. T. Friedman
Pilger's law: 'If it's been officially denied, then it's probably true'
Khertvisi fortress (Georgian: ხერთვისის ციხე) is one of the oldest
fortresses in Georgia and was functional throughout the Georgian feudal
period. It is situated in Southern Georgia, in Meskheti region. The
fortress was first build in the 2nd century BC. The church was built in
985, and the present walls build in 1354. As the legend says, Khertvisi
was destroyed by Alexander the Great. In the 10th-11th centuries it
was the center of Meskheti region. During the 12th century it became a
town. In the 13th century Mongols destroyed it and until the 15th
century it lost its power. In the 15th century it was owned by Meskheti
landlords from Jakeli family. In the 16th century the southern region of
Georgia was invaded by Turks. During next 300 years they have owned
Khertvisi too.
Name Khertvisi comes from the verb designating the
confluence of two rivers. In ancient times, during the march to the
east, Alexander the Great saw the city-fortress Khertvisi. Khertvisi
fortress is a well-preserved complex construction. The buildings that
is prreserved to this day belong to the X-XIX centuries. The fortress
consists of two main parts - the citadel and the wall. The Citadel
occupies a narrow ledge that is protected by a high vertical cliff. The
towers of the fortress are well protected and standing out is the main
tower - a building constructed of well-crafted and stacked stones. Also
should be noted is the five-sided turret which protects the east side.
The fortress is supplied with drinking water through a tunnel, attached
from the northwest.
Khertvisi was repeatedly rebuilt. In
1356-1356, Zakaria Kamkamishvili, Treasurer of the King, built the tower
and wall. In the XVI century the fortress belonged to the feudal family
Hertvisari. In 1578 the Turks captured Khertvisi with other fortresses
of Samtskhe - Saatabago. In 1828-1829, after the victory of Russia over
Turkey, the fortress was returned to Georgia. At that time, Khertvisi,
along with other Georgian fortresses, lost its strategic importance.
Since 2007, the Khertvisi fortress is included in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage.
The Zarzma Monastery of Transfiguration (Georgian: ზარზმის მონასტერი,
zarzmis p'erists'valebis monasteri) is a medieval Orthodox Christian
monastery located at the village of Zarzma in Samtskhe-Javakheti region,
southwest Georgia. The Zarzma monastery is nested in the forested
river valley of Kvabliani in the Adigeni municipality, 30 km west of the
city of Akhaltsikhe. It is the complex of a series of buildings
dominated by a domed church and a belfry, one of the largest in Georgia.
The earliest church on the site was probably built in the 8th century,
by the monk Serapion whose life is related in the hagiographic novel by
Basil of Zarzma. According to his source, the great nobleman Giorgi
Chorchaneli made significant donation – including villages and estates –
to the monastery. The extant edifice dates from the early years of the
14th century, however. Its construction was sponsored by Beka I, Prince
of Samtskhe and Lord High Mandator of Georgia of the Jaqeli family. What
has survived from the earlier monastery is the late 10th-century
Georgian inscription inserted in the chapel's entrance arch. The
inscription reports the military aid rendered by Georgian nobles to the
Byzantine emperor Basil II against the rebellious general Bardas Sclerus
in 979.In 1544, the new patrons of the monastery – the Khursidze family
– refurnished the monastery. The façades of the church are richly
decorated and the interior is frescoed. Apart from the religious cycles
of the murals there are a series of portraits of the 14th-century Jaqeli
family as well as of the historical figures of the 16th century. After
the Ottoman conquest of the area later in the 16th century, the
monastery was abandoned and lay in disrepair until the early 20th
century, when it was reconstructed, but some of the unique
characteristics of the design were lost in the process. Currently, the monastery is functional and houses a community of Georgian monks. It is also the site of pilgrimage and tourism.
A smaller replica of the Zarzma church, known as Akhali Zarzma ("New
Zarzma") is located in the same municipality, near Abastumani. It was
commissioned by Grand Duke George Alexandrovich, a member of the Russian
imperial family, from the Tbilisi-based architect Otto Jacob Simons who
built it between 1899 and 1902, marrying a medieval Georgian design
with the contemporaneous architectural forms. Its interior was frescoed
by the Russian painter Mikhail Nesterov.
Another spiritual currently known as Zeda (upper) Vardzia that is
earlier compared to Vardzia Monastery is located north-westward of the
latter, in the middle of a small gorge, upstream the Kura River, its
main construction – Mother of God church has survived till nowadays.
This monument made of hewn stone blocks has got two naves and a porch
with arched openings attached from the south that gives to the whole of
the construction some resemblance of a three-nave temple. Besides,
the structure is covered with a safe double-pitched roof. This type of
roofing is determined by hiding shelters arranged over the arches of
lateral wings. Two columns separate high and proportionate southern
nave – the main one from the secondary, very narrow and dark northern
nave, that almost literally serves as a background for a lovely arcade
with decorated capitels ets. The frame of the southern entrance, with
unbelievably clean and fine fretwork image of cross set on its top is
the most impressive of all other details of decoration. According to
the construction inscription curved on the stone slab XI c almighty
feudal Liparit Eristavt-Eristavi was the church building donor.
Wall
painting of the church might be of the same period, although due to the
very small portion of the survived frescoes that are in a poor
condition, their more accurate dating seems difficult. In the course of
time the building itself suffered some damages – southern porch had
turned in ruins, but in 70-ies of the last century the church was
reconstructed to its original condition.
Ikalto Academy (Georgian: იყალთოს
აკადემია) in XI-XIII centuries was a high school and the academy in
Ikalto, Georgia. Ikalto monastery was known as one of the most
significant cultural-scholastic centers of Georgia, which is asserted by
the ruins of some civil building preserved at the site of the
monastery. The monastic complex of Ikalto is situated 7-8-kilometers
west of Telavi on the outskirts the village of Ikalto. The complex was
founded by one of the Assyrian monks – Zenon of Ikalto in the late VI
century. Only three churches have been preserved from the complex. The
transfiguration church–Gvtaeba (Holy Spirit) built in the VIII-IX
centuries stands on the site of an earlier church (in which the founder
of the monastery, Saint Zenon had been reburied) and had the form of the
Greek cross in plan. St. Mary’s single-nave church Kvelatsminda
(Absolutely Holy) built at the close of the XII century and at the turn
of the XIII century and Sameba (Holy Trinity). In spite of considerable
reconstruction, one can still see parts of an older VI century domed
church in the little Trinity church. These churches were restored so
many times that their original appearance has changed drastically. All
three churches, like most of the Kakhetian churches, are white, and
against the background of green hills, attracts one’s attention from far
away. The remains of the academy and the refectory survive among other
ruins of the monastery complex. According to verbal sources, during
the Georgian Renaissance (IX-XIII centuries) an outstanding historical
figure and tutor of David the Builder, scholar and philosopher Arsen of
Ikalto initiated the project on establishing a high school and the
academy in Ikalto. He was a son of Kakhetian nobleman Ibad Vachnadze.
Ikalto monastery was known as one of the most significant
cultural-scholastic centers of Georgia. That is proved by the ruins of
some presumable civil building found in the garth of the monastery. The
oblong building of the academy is built of cobble stone. The ground
floor consisted of two rooms, while the single hall of the first floor
was meant for scholarly discussions. Scholarly and literary work was in
full swing at the academy. Many important works were written and
translated from Greek, important catalogues were made up. During his
scholarly activity at academy, Arsen of Ikalto, the founder and the
first rector of the academy, translated such an important work as “The
Great Nomocanon”, another important work translated by him was “The
Source of knowledge” written by John Damascene. Arsen of Ikalto wrote
“The Epitaph of David the Builder”, which was passed on from generation
to generation. The academy of Ikalto had functioned for a long time,
playing an important role in the history of Georgian enlightenment. According to a legend the famous XII century Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli studied here. In
Georgian academies, the syllabus consisted of Trivium (grammar,
rhetoric, dialectics or logic) and Aquarium (music, arithmetic, geometry
and astronomy) cycles. Theology, philosophy and chanting were also
taught here. Besides the theoretical courses, the students were skilled
in pharmacology, pottery making, metal work, viticulture and wine
making. Archaeological excavations revealed numerous workshops,
wine-cellars, a smithy, store rooms and other household rooms grouped
around the academy building. The Monastery was roofed with glazed tiles. In 1616, the Iranian invaders led by Shah Abbas-II set it on fire and the academy ceased to exist. After the annexation of Georgia by Russia, in 1921, the monastery was closed. In 1965, a museum was opened in the main church. Precious books, icons, the church bell and many important items were lost. After the restoration of freedom, in 1991, the monastery became active once again.
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