22 V i s i t www.theculturalexperience.com C a l l 0345 475 1815 Early Periods XXX! XXX ENIGMATIC GEORGIA CAUCASUS CULTURE AND ARCHAEOLOGy Georgia is one of the great undiscovered tourist destinations of this century. See the fabulous monasteries and cathedrals that characterise the landscape, history and society of this mountainous country, from the recently finished Sameba Cathedral to the ancient Anchiskhati Basilica. Witness the steadfast forts of Nokalakevi, believed to be where Jason and the Argonauts stole the Golden Fleece and Khertvisi, destroyed by Alexander the Great and rebuilt in the 10th Century. Climb through the cave cities of Uplistsikhe and Vardzia, once the refuge of whole nations now the home of fabulous frescoes and wall carvings. Discover the isolated medieval communities of Svaneti and their curious tower houses, and wander the vibrant streets of Tbilisi and Kutaisi. ThetourwillbeledbyUniversityofOxford Research Fellow Dr Paul Wordsworth. Paul has conducted archaeological fieldwork across Central Asia and earned his PhD by studying medieval Central Asian trade routes and travel. He will expand your knowledge of Ancient Georgia and enlighten you to the stories and secrets of this diverse and captivating country. 3 – 15 April 2019 3 – 15 April 2019 3 – 15 April 2019 3 – 15 April 2019 3 – 15 April 2019 3 – 15 April 2019 3 – 15 April 2019 3 – 15 April 2019 3 – 15 April 2019 13 days With Dr Paul Wordsworth With Dr Paul Wordsworth With Dr Paul Wordsworth With Dr Paul Wordsworth With Dr Paul Wordsworth Activity Level 2 Activity Level 2 ESSENTIALS Return flights from London, 3 and 4 star hotels, buffet breakfast, all lunches, 3-course dinner with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout. Tour price: £3125 Single supplement: £495 Deposit: £300 Price without flights: £2775 Georgia’s history has a length and breadth that many countries cannot hope to compete with, from evidence of the earliest humans outside of Africa some 1.8 million years ago to the disturbingly violent clashes with separatist movements and fractious political protests throughout the last thirty years. Initially the two kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia, Georgia has an ancient history full of legend: home to the Golden Fleece, ravaged briefly by Alexander the Great’s armies and the setting for countless wars between the Persians and the Byzantine Empire. The 10th – 13th centuries offered a reprieve and the ffered a reprieve and the ff birth of a Golden Age of culture and learning under the rule of King David the Builder, and his granddaughter Queen Tamar, who to this day is referred to as King Tamar, in deference to her fierce leadership and expansion of territory. Subsequent invasions by Mongol Hordes and the occupation by the Ottoman Empire destroyed this Golden Age, making Georgia a divided nation characterised by border squabbles and constant wars between the Ottomans and the Persians. Initially encouraged in the early 19th Century as a means to gain independence, Russian suzerainty developed into the steady annexation of Georgian regions from the Ottomans.Afteraseriesofbrutallysuppressed nationalist uprisings, Georgia briefly gained independence,buttherefusalofmembership to the League of Nations in 1921 helped to drive the Georgians to the Bolshevik Red Army, who invaded and established a Soviet Regime shortly afterwards. Georgia declared independence in April 1991 after the fall of the USSR, beginning a long process of peaceful and violent protests, including the Rose Revolution of 2003. Day 1 - Outward Travel. Fly London to Tbilisi and check in to our hotel for two nights. Day 2 - Tbilisi. We will spend the day in the capital, enjoying a walking tour which will include stops at the recently restored 4th Century Narikala Fortress, the sulphur streams that gave their name to the city and fed the famous baths, and the mysterious Anchiskhati Basilica,itsoldestsurvivingreligiousstructure. The afternoon will be spent at the Open Air Museum of Ethnography where we will experience traditional living from each region in Georgia and witness some of the practices that are still employed today. Day 3 - Mtskheta. We travel to the religious and spiritual centre of Georgia, starting with a brief walk to the ancient capital of Bagineti, before entering the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mtsheketa for lunch. Walk around the 11th Century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, rumoured to be so beautiful that King Giorgi supposedly amputated the architect’s hand so that he could never design a rival to it, and which is still the site of important Georgian ceremonies today. End the afternoon at the Jvari Monastery, set atop a hill overseeing this deceptively sleepy town. Travel onwards Akhaltsikhe