Source: Sputnik Georgia
Tbilisi, November 2, 2016
A candlestick burning in the church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the Vardzia cave complex on Tuesday night resulted in soot partially covering a unique mural, stated the Agency for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Georgia.
Agency specialists have already arrived to the scene to study the condition of the monument of cultural heritage.
Ancient painting on the wall of the church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the cave complex of Vardzia
The monastic cave complex of Vardzia of the twelfth-thirteenth centuries is one of the most interesting landmarks of Georgia. This outstanding memorial to Georgian fortifications and architecture is located in Southeast Georgia, not far from Akhaltsikhe.
There are fifteen churches on the territory of this cultural monument, chief of which is the church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, which has preserved splendid wall paintings. Interest in the complex has not waned; in 2015 archaeologists discovered two new tiers and ten new basins there.
Underground tunnel in the cave complex, leading to the Dormition Church
The monastery complex played an important political, cultural and religious role in Georgian life in its time. Despite the fact that a large part of the Vardzia complex has been destroyed by raids and earthquakes, it continues to amaze visitors.
