Discovering Medieval Monasticism in Georgia:
A Guided Tour
Monastery Tour 2008
In our third season, join us for an exploration of Georgia's oldest monasteries, founded in the sixth century by Christian ascetics from Syria. Be among the first westerners to rediscover the ancient architecture, frescoes, and acoustics of these remarkable monuments, set amidst rolling vineyards, towering peaks, and the desert vistas of the Caspian basin. Led by chant team Luarsab Togonidze, John A Graham, and Aurelia Shrenker, this unique tour seeks to investigate the sounds and wonders of medieval Georgia, while presenting the world-famous hospitality and charm of modern Georgia.
Read more about the program below.
Seeking: World travelers, medievalists, musicians, self-educators, spiritual pilgrims, and adventurers of all varieties for an immersion experience at the crossroads of Europe and Asia: welcome to Caucasus Georgia!
Tour Dates: June 26th – July 6th, 2008 *LIMITED SPACE!!
Cost: $1800 per person, or $3300 for a couple rooming together; Covers all expenses in Georgia including lodging, meals (entertained feasts), transportation, and guided tours. See below for details on airfare.
Impressions: Curious what MTour06 and MTour07 participants had to say about their experience in Georgia? See our “Impressions” section at the top of this page.
Deposit: The tour is limited to fifteen participants on a first come, first serve basis. A $200 deposit per person is required to secure a place. In the event of cancellation, the deposit will be refunded in full up until April 26th, no refunds after this date.
Contact:
Aurelia Shrenker, Logistics Coordinator
aurelia.shrenker@gmail.com
(413) 250-4914 (email preferred)
John A Graham, Tour Director
25 Greenview Ave.
Princeton, NJ 08542
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’.
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 of the true Caucasian adventurer and Christian pilgrim alike.
Leader Profiles:
Luarsab Togonidze
Educated in Canada and England, Luarsab lives with his wife Nino and their three children in Tbilisi where he works as a 19th century historical consultant for the Georgian Patriarchate. He is currently working on a project to document and identify as many 19th and early 20th century priests and monks as possible, 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. student at Princeton University. He has been studying music and language in Georgia for nearly four years, for which he won a Fulbright research grant in 2004, and regularly speaks at international conferences on his research. 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.
Aurelia Shrenker
For the 2008 Monastery Tour, we are delighted to have Aurelia Shrenker as part of the logistics and coordination team! A student of ethno-musicology at City University of New York, Aurelia is an emerging talent in world music circles with recent tours in the Northeastern United States and California, as well as past tours in Great Britain, France, Holland, Germany, Italy, and Corsica with the Northern Harmony Ensemble. She has visited Georgia several times as performer, tourist, and volunteer; during a longer, six-month visit in 2004, she apprenticed with a community for handicapped children in Eastern Georgia. Aurelia brings a bundle of warm energy, a fantastic voice, and most importantly, a deep knowledge of Georgia and its traditions to the leadership team this year.
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. Politically the country is democratic and stable, following the peaceful “Rose Revolution” in 2003 which ousted former Soviet boss Edward Shevernadze, and the recent re-election of incumbent Misha Saakashvili (January 2008). A Columbia University Law School graduate, Saakashvili has cleaned up the police force, curbed corruption, and begun the uphill battle of encouraging investment and bringing Georgia into a modern economy.
Some information on the region can be found on the web. For starters, look at:
- Tourism board
- Nika Vacheishvili's Photo Gallery
- Wikipedia Georgia
- Tbilisi Conservatoire
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 2007 ranged from $1200-$1400 roundtrip, from European destinations between $450-$700 roundtrip. Airline reservations before May 1st recommended.
The tour provides airport pickup and drop-off with English speaking guides to make your transition as comfortable as possible.
Contact and Reservations
Aurelia Shrenker, Logistics Coordinator
aurelia.shrenker@gmail.com
(413) 250-4914 (email preferred)