Following a traditional path used by traders and invaders, the Georgia Military Road has been a passageway for people and ideas since antiquity.
The Georgia Military Road, is a 210km route that twists and turns through Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains. Lush valleys are crisscrossed by gurgling rivers, mountains overgrown with wildflowers and picturesque villages perched on the edge of cliffs. Occasional Georgian Orthodox churches, complete with beautiful barrel domes, appear on the horizon and rows of coloured Soviet mosaics adorn deserted bus stop walls. At one stop, a smiling vendor might break into song as he hands you a plate of Georgian dumplings by the shimmering blue Aragvi River.
Sixteen years ago marked the end of the five-day Russo-Georgian War of 2008 that left a trail of devastation on the Georgia Military Road. Georgia was part of the Soviet Union from 1921-1991 and the road, which connects Tbilisi with the Russian town of Vladikavkaz, is the only direct overland route connecting Georgia with the Russian Federation.
However, the nation has a much longer history of conflict. Historically, Georgia was an object of rivalry between the Romans, Persians, Ottomans and Russians, owing to its strategic location between Europe and Asia. Georgia was also home to an ancient road in the Caucasus Mountains that connected the two continents. The road was called Porta Caucasia and played a crucial role in ferrying troops between empires and launching attacks.
In the 18th Century, following the Treaty of Georgievsk, the Russians established Porta Caucasia as a modern military thoroughfare, which led it to be known as the Georgia Military Road. This route went on to play 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.
Military history aside, Porta Caucasia was also an important part of the Great Silk Road connecting China with the Mediterranean. Caravans full of silk, spices and jewellery passed along here, while ancient writers like Strabo and Pliny the Elder waxed eloquent about the road’s natural beauty. Even today, it is an extremely busy route, ferrying everything from cheap electronics to fragrant Armenian flowers within the Caucasus region.
As a passageway for people and ideas since antiquity, the surrounding region’s rich cultural heritage have often been overshadowed by conflict. “Georgia Military Road is full of art and architecture and represents the beautiful historical heritage of our country,” says Sofia Knoeva, a local tour guide at Friendly.ge. “Every tour company in Georgia is now incorporating the Military Road into their basic packages for foreign tourists so that people can experience the region’s cultural richness.”
Over a three day period, you can chart out an itinerary along the road, from Tbilisi in the south to Stepantsminda in the north, stopping at remote monasteries, Soviet-era mosaics, restaurants serving plates of khinkali (Georgia’s giant dumplings) and lush valleys dotted with ruined medieval fortresses.
Perhaps begin in the historic city of Mtskheta, the seat of the Georgian Orthodox Church since the 4th Century. Located on the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers, Mtskheta was a key Silk Road trading hub and a holy capital city. It was here that Saint Nino arrived in AD337 and eventually converted Georgia to Christianity. Mtskheta is now a Unesco World Heritage Site and home to three churches – the Jvari Monastery, the Samtavro Monastery and the massive complex of the Svetitstkhoveli Cathedral. The Samtavro Monastery complex is home to the graves of King Mirian, the first Christian king of Georgia, and his queen Nana; while the Svetitstkhoveli Cathedral, is believed to house Jesus Christ’s robe that was brought to Mtskheta by a Georgian Jew named Elioz.
Heading deeper into the mountains you can explore Georgia’s vanishing Soviet mosaics. At the quaint village of Tsikhisdziri, you can pull over at a deserted bus stop to admire a colourful – if crumbling – ceramic panel depicting lions, horses, mythical birds and folk images depicted in bright red, blue and yellow.
Most mosaics along the Georgia Military Road date to the second half of the 20th Century, when they were used to spread political and cultural messages throughout the territories of the Soviet Union. However, the art quickly declined after the USSR’s collapse in 1991. Today, most of Georgia’s Soviet-era mosaics have either been destroyed or are lying in ruins.
Heading towards the Gudauri Panorama where the most famous Georgian mosaic is located – you can also stop and taste some delicious khinkali in Pasanauri, a beautiful riverside village where the famed dumplings are believed to have originated.
“Pasanauri khinkalis are the perfect balance of dough, meat and juice – a combination that literally explodes in your mouth,” says Takvarelia, a local travel guide, as he tilts his head, sips the juice and demonstrates the right way to eat a khinkali. “If you don’t tilt your head, you’re going to spill all the juice and you don’t want to do that,” he says, taking another slurp.
The Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument, a colossal concrete structure that is at first a bit of an eyesore against the stunning Caucasus Mountains. But a closer look reveals images from Georgian and Russian history that celebrate the bond of “friendship” between the two nations.
A side trip on the third day can take you to the remote Truso Valley in north-eastern Georgia, bordering Russia to the north and the breakaway region of South Ossetia to the west. Truso Valley is a mere 22km from Stepantsminda, but it will take a couple of hours to get to there while navigating precarious mountain roads (four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended).
Dotted with abandoned villages and medieval watchtowers, Truso Valley is breathtakingly beautiful. Red-tinted mountains flank meadows covered with wildflowers and ancient churches stand against the glimmering waters of the Terek River. The picturesque Abano Lake bubbles with mineral water while the ruins of the Zakagori Fortress are, perhaps, reminiscent of Indiana Jones.
Overall, a definite “Bucket List” trip.
