Following the traditional route used by traders and invaders, the Georgian Military Road has been a transit route of people and ideas since ancient times.

As my car winds along the Georgian Military Highway, a 210km route that twists and turns through Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains, I encounter lush valleys criss-crossed by cascading rivers, mountains overgrown with wildflowers, and picturesque villages perched on the edges of cliffs. Georgian Orthodox churches, complete with beautiful domes, occasionally appear on the horizon, and rows of colorful Soviet mosaics adorn the deserted bus stop walls. At one stall, a smiling vendor starts singing as he hands me a plate of Georgian dumplings on the banks of the sparkling blue Aragvi River.

“It’s funny, not many tourists visit this part of Georgia. But it’s the most beautiful place in the world and my favorite,” says driver Mirian Takvarelia. GoTrip GeorgiaA local ride-hailing company that rents taxis for multi-day trips within the country. “It’s enough to come here once to fall in love with the Caucasus.”

Takvarelia smiles when I ask him how long he’s been guiding tourists along the Georgian Military Trail. “Too long,” he replies, “Maybe 15-16 years.”

Sixteen years may not mean much in other countries, but in the South Caucasus nation of Georgia, it marks the end of the era. Five-day Russo-Georgian War of 2008 It left a trail of destruction on the Georgian Military Highway. Georgia was part of the Soviet Union between 1921 and 1991, and the road connecting Tbilisi to the Russian town of Vladikavkaz is the only direct land route connecting Georgia to the Russian Federation.

But the country has a much longer history of conflict. Historically Georgia is a object of competition Among the Romans, Persians, Ottomans and Russians due to its strategic location between Europe and Asia. Georgia was also home to an ancient road connecting two continents in the Caucasus Mountains. The road is called Porta Caucasus It played an important role in transporting troops between empires. launch attacks.

After the 18th century, Treaty of GeorgievskThe Russians established Porta Caucasus as a modern military avenue, leading to it becoming known as the Georgian Military Road. This route played a key role in many Russian military offensives in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Caucasian War, the Russo-Circassian War, and the Murid War.

Besides military history, Porta Caucasus was also an important part of the region. Great Silk Road We connect China to the Mediterranean. While caravans full of silk, spices and jewels passed through here, ancient writers such as Strabo and Pliny the Elder spoke of the natural beauty of the road. Even today, it is an extremely busy route carrying everything from cheap electronics to fragrant Armenian flowers from the Caucasus region.

A crossroads of people and ideas since ancient times, the rich cultural heritage of the surrounding region has often been overshadowed by conflict. “(The Georgia Military Trail) is full of art and architecture and represents our country’s beautiful historical heritage,” says local tour guide Sofia Knoeva. Dostu.ge. “Every tour company in Georgia now includes the Military Trail in their basic packages for foreign tourists so people can experience the cultural richness of the region.”

Over the next three days, Takvarelia and I prepared a plan. travel plan Along the way from Tbilisi in the south to Stepantsminda in the north, there are stops at remote monasteries, mosaics from the Soviet period, and restaurants serving plated food. khinkali (Georgia’s giant meatballs) and lush valleys dotted with ruined medieval castles.

We start in the historical city of Mtskheta, the center of the Georgian Orthodox Church since the 4th century. Located at the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers, Mtskheta was an important trading center of the Silk Road and a sacred capital. Here it was Saint Nino He arrived in 337 AD and eventually converted Georgia to Christianity.

Mtskheta is now a Unesco World Heritage Site and home to three churches Jvari Monastery, Samtavro Monastery and huge complex Svetitsthoveli Cathedral. The Samtavro Monastery complex houses the tombs of Georgia’s first Christian king, King Mirian, and his queen Nana; Svetitstkhoveli Cathedral is believed to house the robe of Jesus Christ, which was brought to Mtskheta by a Georgian Jew named Elioz.

I marveled at the beautifully carved stone reliefs, vibrant religious iconography, and intricate frescoes in the 11th-century cathedral complex. some old quevri wine containers The statue in the garden reminds us of the times when the cathedral made and stored its own wine in these underground earthenware containers. As I wander through Mtskheta’s historic centre, where vendors sell everything from enamel jewelery to traditional rugs, from fragrant spices to wine ice cream, I am transported back to a time when Silk Road caravans stopped to eat, rest and trade in this ancient city. .

But the most iconic monument of the Mtskheta Unesco community is the small 6th-century Jvari Monastery. Located on a cliff overlooking the rivers, this structure is one of the few surviving examples. early medieval Georgian church architecturecompleted with complex bas-reliefs and asomtavruli (old Georgian alphabet) inscriptions. The church was built in the 4th century on the site of the first wooden cross symbolizing the rise of Christianity in Georgia, and is still one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in the Caucasus.

After a day spent exploring Mtskheta’s religious past, I head deep into the mountains to explore Georgia’s vanished Soviet mosaics. In the quaint village of Tsikhisdziri, I ask to stop at a deserted bus stop to admire a colorful – crumbling – ceramic panel depicting lions, horses, mythical birds and folk paintings depicted in bright red, blue and yellow.

“Why do you want to stand here?” asks Takvarelia. “The (Georgian) Military Road, especially the walls of the bus stops, are covered with mosaic panels, but no one comes to see them anymore,” he adds.

Most of the mosaics on the Georgian Military Road date from the second half of the 20th century, when they were used to spread political and cultural messages throughout the territory of the Soviet Union. However, after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the art declined rapidly. Today, most of Georgia’s Soviet-era mosaics have either been destroyed or lie in ruins.

Sensing my interest in this part of Georgia’s past, Takvarelia offers to take me to an abandoned place. Young Pioneer Camp called Tsiskari near the village of Tskhvarichamia, 30 km east of Mtskheta. As you approach Tsiskari, numerous colorful mosaic panels line every centimeter of the road leading to the camp, depicting Georgian festivities and folk life. The most iconic panel is the one showing children in their stylish Young Pioneer uniforms, playing drums and picking flowers, bringing life to an otherwise deserted summer camp.

“Ah, but you haven’t seen the best mosaic in Georgia yet,” says Takvarelia. Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument. So we set off for the Gudauri Panorama, home to the most famous Georgian mosaic – but not before tasting delicious khinkali in Pasanauri, a beautiful riverside village believed to be the source of the famous dumplings.

“Pasanauri khinkalis are the perfect balance of dough, meat and juice, a combination that literally explodes in your mouth,” Takvarelia says, bowing her head, sipping juice and demonstrating the proper way to eat khinkali. “If you don’t keep your head down, you’ll spill all the water, and you don’t want to do that,” he says, taking another sip.

I spend the afternoon admiring the Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument, a massive concrete structure that at first stands out a bit against the striking Caucasus Mountains. But a closer look reveals images from the history of Georgia and Russia that celebrate the bond of “friendship” between the two nations.

On the last day, we rent a Takvarelia 4×4 and set off towards remote control Truso Valley separatist region in northeastern Georgia, bordering Russia to the north South Ossetia west. The Truso Valley is only 22 kilometers from Stepantsminda, but it took us several hours to get there, navigating treacherous mountain roads.

The Truso Valley is breathtakingly beautiful, full of abandoned villages and medieval watchtowers. Wildflower-covered meadows are flanked by red mountains and ancient churches, set against the sparkling waters of the Terek River. While the picturesque Abano Lake is overflowing with mineral water, Zakagori Castle Tempt me to channel my inner Indiana Jones.

“I saved the best for last. Now you will never forget the Georgian Military Road,” Takvarelia said with a chuckle. I couldn’t agree more.