Discover Georgia Tours

Monastery Tour 2010

Important Details
Tour Locations
Leader Profiles
Flights

In our fifth season, join us for an exploration of Georgia's oldest monasteries, founded in the sixth century by Christian ascetics from Assyria. Be among the first westerners to rediscover the frescoes and acoustics of these ancient houses of worship set amidst rolling vineyards, towering peaks, and the desert vistas of the Caspian basin. Led by co-authors Luarsab Togonidze and John A. Graham, this unique tour seeks to investigate the sounds and wonders of medieval Georgia, while presenting the world-famous hospitality and charm of modern Georgia.

Contact and reservations:

John A Graham
johnananda@georgianchant.org
145 Windsor Dr.
White River Jct.
VT 05001 USA

Tour Locations:

Sighnaghi

+ Sighnaghi, a hilltop fortress town built by King Erekle in the 18th century; boasts twenty seven towers and a four kilometer defensive wall overlooking the broad Alezani valley, commanding a 180 degree view of the Great Caucasus Range. Once an artisan capital, Sighnaghi is quickly re-establishing itself as a center of the artistic renaissance of 21st century Georgia, hosting three dance troupes, folk and sacred choirs, painting, music, carpet-making, and wood-working studios, as well as a regional branch of the State University. We will make ourselves at home in this charming town for the first half of the tour while we visit the incredible treasures of medieval architecture in the region including the Bodbe, Alaverdi, Ghirsa, and Iqalto monasteries.

Telavi

+ Telavi, regional capital of the Kakheti region. Telavi is situated at the top of the long Alezani wine-growing valley, at the base of the Great Caucasus range, and has been the seat of kings for several centuries. In the Telavi region there are many famous monasteries and castles, including the 8th century double domed Kvelatsminda church, the 11th and 12th masterpieces of Alaverdi Cathedral and Iqalto Academy, the 16th century Gremi fortress and Shuamta Convent, and the 19th century Tsinandali palace and winery.

Tbilisi

+ Tbilisi, capital city of Georgia, founded in the 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali. A center of trade and conflict for centuries, Tbilisi has been sacked forty times by various invaders but survives today as the modern hub of the South Caucasus. Nevertheless, the downtown area is full of winding cobblestone streets, small shops and restaurants, as well as the churches, synagogues, and mosques that celebrate the diversity of this unique country. As we tour monasteries in the ancient capital region, a comfortable downtown Tbilisi hotel will serve as our home-base, affording a chance to sample the best of Tbilisi's dining and evening entertainment, and visit the wealth of museums, spas, and cultural delights in the "Old Town."

Borjomi

+ Settled since ancient times, Borjomi was developed by Tsar Nicholas during the 19th century as a spa town. The incredible forested mountain ranges in all directions, coupled with the prevalence of potable mineral springs in the area (Borjomi Mineral Water is still famous throughout the former USSR), made for an ideal summer hunting retreat to host international guests. In ancient times, the Borjomi Gorge was an important "southern gateway" to inner Kartli, and linked the major settlements in southern Georgia and Anatolia with the Eastern Georgian Iberian kingdom. We will use the Borjomi locale to stage day trips to the local Tibestumani and Mtsvane monasteries, as well as venturing south onto the high plateau area to fined the Vardzia cave complex and the Sapara Monastery.

Qazbegi

+ Mount Qazbegi, the mythical mountain hold of Prometheus' epic torture, elevates to an impressive snowcap, 15,000 feet above sea level. Against this backdrop, the small hamlet of St. Stephens and the hauntingly silhouetted Gergeti Trinity Monastery (13th century) strikes an indelibly austere frame, and has become the ultimate destination for Caucasian alpinist-adventurer and Christian pilgrim alike.

Leader Profiles:

Luarsab Togonidze

Educated in Canada and England, Luarsab lives with his wife Nino and their four children in Tbilisi where he works as a 19th century historical consultant for the Georgian Patriarchate and operates a company that produces and researches historical garments. He is currently working on a project to document and identify 19th and early 20th century priests and monks, using data collected from archives, churches, and family histories. Luarsab brings a passion for medieval Georgian culture, history, and a wonderful singing voice to the tour, and commands significant respect from within the Georgian Orthodox community. His other business is restaurants, so he guarantees the best food in Georgia for our tour!

John A Graham

Ethnomusicologist and Georgian chant scholar, John is a PhD. candidate at Princeton University, where he is pursuiing research for a dissertation on the Transmission and Transcription of Georgian Sacred Music. He has been traveling to Georgi to study music and language in Georgia since 2003, including on a Fulbright research grant in 2004, and regularly gives lectures on his research at international conferences. In his ongoing efforts to popularize Georgian culture and music, he organized US-based tours for the world-renowned Anchiskhati Church Choir in 2005 and the energetic Zedashe Ensemble in 2007. John brings his developed organizational skills, knowledge of Georgia, and passion for music and history to the Monastery Tour.

Maka Ioseliani

This summer, we are joined by Maka Ioseliani, a veteran traveler and longtime friend. Raised in the Svanetian highlands of Georgia, Maka speaks Svan as a first language, as well as fluent Georgian, Russian, and English. She has worked as a travel consultant for various tour companies and as a translator for USAID, developing skills which came into demand this past summer when Maka served as a field guide and translator for the Red Cross humanitarian services in the South Ossetian emergency zone. Sharing our passion for Georgian folklore, history, and music, Maka's energy and professionalism will round out our leadership team this summer.

Where is Georgia?

Georgia is a country nestled in the South Caucasus along the eastern coast of the Black Sea and is bordered by Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Daghestan, and Russia.

Some information on the region can be found on the web. For starters, look at:

Flights to Georgia:

Airfare to and from Georgia is reliable, with hub airports in London, Vienna, Paris, and Istanbul. We recommend avoiding hub routes through Moscow.

From New York and Boston, prices in 2009 ranged from $1100-$1300 roundtrip, from European destinations between $450-$700 roundtrip. Many guests found it convenient to route through Istanbul. Airline reservations before May 1st recommended.

The tour provides airport pickup and dropoff to make your transition as comfortable as possible, and we can help with supplementary hotel reservations depending on the length of your overall visit to Georgia.

Contact and Reservations