First note- you’ll need a 4x4 for this or strong legs and plenty of time. Also note it is some 10 degrees cooler up there than in the capital, so consider taking an extra layer and don’t forget water and snacks!
August 12th is the day of the Didgori battle, which was IN 2017 put forward as a potential national holiday but has yet to be declared so. When I went to check out the monument early July, there were workmen aplenty reconstructing the steps and small stone amphitheater to accommodate the open-air wrestling contest that is to take place there to celebrate the anniversary.
If you can’t make it on the day, fear not- there’s plenty to entertain you and your family otherwise.
The best (and least bumpy) way is to drive up through Kojori and past Betania Monastery (also worth a visit- more about that in a future issue). It’ll take around 45 minutes from Tbilisi. Turn right when you see a severe ‘soviet’ eagle on a stone plinth, with its wing directing the way…or just look for the Didgori village sign.
Keep heading straight through and beyond the village. The asphalt fast becomes dirt track but the wild flowers and hillside scenery opening all around you make the rough trip more than worth it. After some 10-15 minutes of winding track, you’ll finally catch sight of the glint of metal on a distant hillside to your right and as you approach, you’ll see they are swords! Forty-nine, to be exact: one for every 1000 Georgians that took part in the vast battle on this spot (SEE THE HISTORY BELOW).
Before you get there, you’ll notice a tired but victorious looking soldier kneeling with his shield up and sword raised high. Nearby is an abstract lump of metal that we can presume represents a defeated Seljuk. Scattered around the central sword monument you can find other such abstract sculptures- of both winners and ‘losers’- with the green hill-and-woodland backdrop providing great photo ops. You can head up to the swords on foot or circle round and approach through the amphitheater and up the steps to the soviet concrete ‘T’ which stands at the peak with a commemorative plaque and church bell. It’s windy up there, so if you brought a picnic along, you might want to choose somewhere further down. Please take your rubbish home with you.
Now for that man with the horn I mentioned in the title. If you have time, this is a nice 10km downhill hike from the amphitheater along the dirt road through the woods (keep your eyes open for the rare blue glitter bug scuttling past and be careful not to touch the giant Hogweeds which will leave you itching for days!). Alternatively, drive the route and choose to keep going the remaining 17-odd km towards Mtskheta (Old capital of Georgia). You won’t miss our man- he’s standing on the edge of the mountain looking back in the direction the Seljuks came, giant cow-horn to his lips, chain mail on and sword at his belt. And he is HUGE! The metal sculpture stands some 10 meters tall and is reachable along a small track. Feel free to sit at his feet and enjoy the view, but be careful as there are no safety barriers. There are also no descriptive signs to explain his presence, but it’s nice to sit and make up stories of battles and victories won long ago around you.
The Battle of Didgori was fought between the armies of the Kingdom of Georgia and the declining Seljuq Empire at Didgori, 40 km west of Tbilisi on August 12, 1121. The battle resulted in King David IV of Georgia’s victory over a Seljuk army invading under Ilghazi and the subsequent reconquest of the Muslim-held Tbilisi, which then became the royal capital. The victory at Didgori began the medieval Georgian Golden Age and is celebrated in the Georgian chronicles as a "miraculous victory".
By Katie Ruth Davies