Landscape from Svaneti
Two days of heavy rain cut off Touchétie from the rest of the world for two weeks. But it allowed us to find some exceptional light.
The villages of Touchétie were only composed of houses with high towers for defenses, until the nineteenth century.
In front of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, the residence of the Patriarch of Georgia.
Martvili Canyon.
Every summer in Svaneti, the inhabitants of the Ushguli village organise a fight of rams. Each participating animal will be cooked and shared the same day in an enourmous feast.
The inhabitants of Svaneti - the Svans - make a point of honor in keeping their traditions alive through polyphonic singing for instance.
An orthodox monk.
Shatili, village-fortress in the mountainous region of Khevsureti.
The Orthodox monks enjoy the serenity and calm of their monastery overlooking the plain of Samegrelo.
Here is one of the most interesting and unusual place in Georgia : the Abastumani observatory is a authentic soviet scientific town, hidden in a pine tree forest. Built in the 1920', it is still functional and hosts year-round astronomers, as well as visitors and tourists that comes for a one-evening observation of the Moon, Venus, or Jupiter.
Inside Tsalenjikha cathedral.
Just like in Cappadoccia (Turkey), the hills here seem empty and the plains hold plenty of tunnels and secret halls. These cavities were used to hide the population during invasions. Here we are in a ancient troglodyte church, dating from the 7th century. The entrance is on the bottom left.
In the 9th century, the fortress of Tmogvi was a crucial defensive point overlooking the trade route linking the Armenian Highlands to the fertile Georgian lands.
In the countryside, some families prepare fresh cheese every morning. Recommended address for those who will go to Georgia, in Vardzia.
Svaneti.
