David Gareji Monasteri

The David Gareji monastery complex, located on the border of Georgia and Azerbaijan, was abandoned in Soviet times, but was restored after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the 6th century AD, David Gareji, one of the thirteen hermits in Georgia, built the first monastery Lavra here. Later, more and more monasteries here became the local religious, academic and artistic center. The area here is very large, and most tourists just visit the two neighboring Udabno monasteries, which have been abandoned but have preserved a number of exquisite frescoes.