Conservation plan for 12th Century Georgian cave city

The three-day international seminar is organised by the National Agency of Cultural Heritage.
Agenda.ge, 09 Jul 2014 - 18:24, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia has started working on a conservation plan to preserve a 12th Century cave city in southern Georgia.

Minister of Culture Guram Odisharia and National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation general director Nika Antidze will officially open the Vardzia seminar tomorrow at the Vardzia museum-reserve.

The three-day international seminar is organised by the National Agency of Cultural Heritage Preservation with support from the Ministry of Culture.

"The main aim of the Cultural Heritage Protection Agency is to stop rock falling from the unique cave complex and prolong the life of the monument,” Odisharia said.

"Uniting Georgian field specialists and creating a conservation document, which is non-existent at the present time, is very important for the survival of Vardzia. This document will become a perquisite for preparing a Vardzia management plan.”

One of the guests of the seminar is Claudio Margotinni - head of the Italian Geological Research Department, a UNESCO consultant and vice president of the International Consortium on Landslides.

Several presentations will be held throughout the working day.

Vardzia - cave monastery ensemble in south Georgia. Photo by National Tourism Agency