NEWS:

Ancient monastery ignites modern-day feud in Caucasus
Posted on Donnerstag, 3. Mai 2007 (EST)

Perched high on a cliff side in the remote borderlands of eastern Georgia, the ancient Davit Gareji monastery hardly seems the kind of place that could be at the centre of a modern-day diplomatic dispute.

More: http://news.sawf.org/Lifestyle/36646.aspx

Azerbaijan Market Research Reports

Photo & Text on September 18, 2006 by Vladimer Shioshvili

Best viewed large.

Stitching of 9 images using autostitch, ptstitcher and enlend in Hugin.Davit Gareja is a complex of monsateries carved out in as caves in a large desert. Monasteries are kilometers away from each other and were established in the 6th century by a Syrian monk David. This particular view is from the most visited Lavra monastery of the complex. David himself is buried in the monastery.

Red stripes on rolls is clay with rocks sandwiching it. Darker spots in the back seem like shadows from clouds, but they are actuallly burnt grass. There is limited vegitation around monasteries and rivers that dry up in the summer.

It is an amazing site. Here is the wikipedia entry: Davidgareja.