Travels in Georgia] (28) Visit to the Church of Tuminda Sameva and the Elia Monastery, "the church as close to heaven as possible" with a spectacular view of the Caucasus.
Upon arriving in Kazbeki, a stronghold in the Caucasus Mountains, I immediately headed for the church of Tsminda Sameva, which is said to be "as close to heaven as possible.
The snow-capped mountain in the foreground is Mt. Kazbeki, the famous peak of the Kafkaes.
And standing alone on the mountain in the upper left corner of the photo is the church of Tsiminda Sameva, where we will be going from now on.
The snow-capped mountain in the foreground is Mt. Kazbeki, the famous peak of the Kafkaes.
- Takahiro Ueda @Hakodate Kinshokuji Temple (@kinsyokuzi) January 9, 2023
And standing alone on the mountain in the upper left corner is the church of Tsiminda Sameva, where we will be going from now on.
From the town of Kazbeki, we changed to a 4WD vehicle and headed in the direction of the mountains. pic.twitter.com/CyXtzmNXAZ
From the town of Kazbeki, we changed to a 4WD vehicle and headed in the direction of the mountains, where a tremendous road began.
I see, this is definitely not possible in a normal car.
It is not simply a matter of the road not being paved. The road was full of holes, and for some reason, there were rocks the size of baseballs lying all over the road. Sometimes there were even rocks larger than a soccer ball. We had to avoid the potholes while avoiding the rocks. Why didn't they remove the rocks? How many times had this question crossed my mind?
Shaking and swaying. A shock so strong that the body floats.
Road to Sameva Church
- Takahiro Ueda @Hakodate Kinshokuji Temple (@kinsyokuzi) January 9, 2023
I see, this is definitely not possible in a normal car.
It was not simply a matter of not being paved or anything like that. There were even rocks larger than a soccer ball at times. Why didn't they remove the rocks? How many times has this crossed your mind?
Shaking and swaying. A shock so strong that the body floats.# Impressions of summer noted in autumn pic.twitter.com/FX6HmWNLZm
This video may give you an idea of how bad the road is.
And I still laugh when I remember how dynamic this driver was. He is also the president of the driver's company, and apparently his subordinate had made a mistake on another tour. He seemed to be having a hard time dealing with the situation, but I couldn't help but notice how wild he was, yelling at me while driving with one hand on this rough road! I couldn't help but laugh as I sat next to him. This kind of thing would never happen in Japan (laughs).
Well, we arrived shortly. They stopped the car at the most famous photo spot before we got to the parking lot.
Oh! This is it!
Isn't it that spectacular view that is so famous that Georgia is known for this view?
This is wonderful! The church itself has an imposing appearance that evokes a sense of history, but it is the sheer mountain in the background that really stands out. The overwhelming power of the church can be attributed to the presence of this mountain.
Then we arrived at the parking lot near the church. From here, we walk.
It is just a short walk from the parking lot, so even I managed to get through it after being sick in Armenia.
As I walked toward the church, I looked back and saw a tremendous view.
The beauty of Mt. Kazbeki in the foreground goes without saying, but the layering of the mountains in the foreground is also quite wonderful. Without the trees, the contours of the mountains become clearer. This may be the reason for the sharp impression.
Ah, I still like the architecture of the Georgian church. Why do I feel such spirituality? I feel this especially after visiting Armenia. I can clearly feel the connection to the present, even though I feel the age.
This is another active monastery, and photography was not allowed inside.
According to our guide, this monastery is a gateway to success for young monks.
The reason for this is that monks are supposed to leave the secular world behind and devote themselves to quiet prayer. In Georgia, there are still many people who seek such a monastic life and enter into it.
But becoming a monk is not that easy, of course. It still requires a strong determination and a certain degree of aptitude.
So they say that this place plays a major role as a gateway to success.
Although this place stands alone on top of a mountain, it is now a tourist spot where many people come to see the sights. Anyone can live a quiet life in a secluded place. But can you live a life of prayer in such a busy place with so many people? Can you live your daily life with respect for the believers who live here, even under the eyes of tourists? They are going to test these things.
And if you can do it here, you can do it anywhere. If you can do it here, you can go anywhere you want. Of course, there are monks who have been living here for a long time, but it was very interesting to hear that this place functions as a gateway to success for monks.
I wondered inwardly if there must be some kind of conflict between tourism and ascetic practices in the Hieizan and Koyasan areas. If I have a chance, I would like to visit there.
The view of Mount Kazbeki from the monastery was also spectacular. The view of Mount Kazbeki from the monastery was also spectacular.
Looking out from the monastery toward the town of Kazbeki. This is where I was just a few minutes ago. I feel a sense of having come all the way up here from there.
It was a view that made me realize that this town of Kazbeki is located in a valley between mountains.
Well, it was indeed a church with a spectacular view, the pride of Georgia.
We descended from the mountain and returned to the town of Kazbeki. The next stop was the Elia Monastery, a place where those in the know can enjoy the most amazing views.
The location of the church is said to be on the other side of the tree line. In other words, it is very close to the mountain that was the background of the Tuminda Sameva church we saw earlier. We were going to see the mountain we had seen through the church, but now we were going to see it up close. This looks promising.
Well, I drove up as far as I could go, and from there I walked lightly. The mountains in front of me already took my breath away.
No, no, no, no, no, what is this...
It was very powerful from afar, but up close, it was even more powerful. It was as if a sharp rocky mountain was jutting out from the ground.
If Mount Kazbeki is feminine, then this very mountain could be described as masculine. The word "Tolstoyan" even came to mind.
Looking back toward Mount Kazbeki, we see the following. It is a completely different world from the one we were in just a few minutes ago.
And here is the Elia Monastery. Just when I visited, the monks were praying and working outside cutting the grass.
Look at this view. I was overwhelmed by the magnificent scenery itself, but now I saw a herd of horses. And they were running toward us with great vigor. I couldn't understand what was going on anymore and laughed.
By the way, the man carrying the yellow cylindrical thing on the left is a monk. I wonder where he is going now. Is he going to pray on top of the mountain?
We also shot some videos in this area monastery, so we will introduce them here as well.
Climb the hill on the opposite side of the mountain from Mount Kazbeki.# Georgia pic.twitter.com/GvAG3qoJQG
- Takahiro Ueda @Hakodate Kinshokuji Temple (@kinsyokuzi) October 1, 2022
What is it? I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
- Takahiro Ueda @Hakodate Kinshokuji Temple (@kinsyokuzi) October 4, 2022
Georgia was really Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aT68AlcfXg
Well, this was a day that I was truly amazed by the spectacular view just outside of Qazbeki. I was overwhelmed by the power of the view on the first day of my stay in Kafkaes.
In the days to come I would be even more amazed by these Kafkers. And my feelings for Tolstoy and Dostoevsky would grow and grow.
be unbroken
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