Aerial videos From Georgia, fortresses, churches and landscapes

[AerialExplorer]

Hey everyone,

So I have been working long and hard all summer to perfect my drone for capturing aerial video and here is some of the shots I have captured over the summer.

[AerialExplorer]

[martyboy]

Awesome footage ! what are you using to capture these images ?

[AerialExplorer]

Originally Posted by martyboy

Awesome footage ! what are you using to capture these images ?

Thank you
Inspire 1 Drone

[Lonerider]

Super footage, thats great work

Wayne

[AerialExplorer]

Samtavro St. Nino’s Monastery was built on the place called ‘Zemo Ecclesia’ (Upper Church). It was located in the capital city of the Eastern Georgian Kingdom Iberia Mtskheta in 30s of the 4th century. The first Christian royal couple - King Mirian and Qween Nana are buried here. Since the 480s Samtavro became an Episcopal see. Since the beginning of 19th century it has become a convent.
The present Samtavro Transfiguration Orthodox Church was built in the 1030-1040s in the town Mtskheta. The preserved mural paintings in the altar conch and in the dome are dated to the mid-17th century. The archeological excavations revealed the remains of a large church that had been standing here before 11th century.
Eastwards of the Church there is a small early medieval church of St. Nino. Its mural paintings are dated to 19th century. On the North of the Church there is a three storied bell tower of 15-16th centuries. A cylindrical tower of 18th century is preserved in the wall of the monastery that was restored in 19th century.
Samtavro convent, together with other historical monuments of Mtskheta has been inscribed upon the World Heritage List of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage since 1994.

[AerialExplorer]

Samtavro St. Nino’s Monastery was built on the place called ‘Zemo Ecclesia’ (Upper Church). It was located in the capital city of the Eastern Georgian Kingdom Iberia Mtskheta in 30s of the 4th century. The first Christian royal couple - King Mirian and Qween Nana are buried here. Since the 480s Samtavro became an Episcopal see. Since the beginning of 19th century it has become a convent.
The present Samtavro Transfiguration Orthodox Church was built in the 1030-1040s in the town Mtskheta. The preserved mural paintings in the altar conch and in the dome are dated to the mid-17th century. The archeological excavations revealed the remains of a large church that had been standing here before 11th century.
Eastwards of the Church there is a small early medieval church of St. Nino. Its mural paintings are dated to 19th century. On the North of the Church there is a three storied bell tower of 15-16th centuries. A cylindrical tower of 18th century is preserved in the wall of the monastery that was restored in 19th century.
Samtavro convent, together with other historical monuments of Mtskheta has been inscribed upon the World Heritage List of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage since 1994.

[AerialExplorer]

For some time Bochorma used to be one the largest fortresses in Kakheti. It is located at the Gombori Pass on the road from Inner Kakheti to the capital. Nowadays the ruins of this once magnificent stronghold are covered by a dense forest of centuries-old trees. Its origin is still unknown. The first reference dates back to the beginning of the 10th century. It seems that it underwent multiple changes in later centuries and reached the age of late feudalism in a sadly damaged state. It is known that in mid 1700s Erekle II restored Bochorma fortress and it is the traces of these works we can see now.
The old and newer walls of the fortress have been designed in a way that they followed the highly sophisticated landscape of the hill, thus making access to the town extremely difficult for the enemy. The entrance was located in the eastern side where the fortress is relatively easily accessible.
The fortress has two main parts. The citadel was built on the hill and served as a residential castle and hub of the stronghold. The now extant ruins include the remains of a formerly two-storey palace inside the citadel, with two halls, archs and fireplaces. The citadel also contained a cylindrical tower that has a good view of the gorges nearby.
The highest point of the fortress is occupied by the King’s Hall connected with the citadel with a 2 m wide inner lane. The palace offers a truly unforgettable view.
Military importance and security of Bochorma Fortress cannot be underestimated. In the mid 18th century, when Kartl-Kakheti Kingdom was frequently invaded by Lezghins, King Erekle II travelled personally to Kakheti to build Choeti Fortress and restore and fortify Bochorma. Historical records of the 18th century indicate that during one of the invasions of the enemy the king himself decided to send Queen Anna from Martkopi to Bochorma and called on the princes and lords to use the fortress as a shelter for their families.
Archaeological evidence indicates that Bochorma Fortress stayed a functioning fortification until the end of the 18th century.

[AerialExplorer]

For some time Bochorma used to be one the largest fortresses in Kakheti. It is located at the Gombori Pass on the road from Inner Kakheti to the capital. Nowadays the ruins of this once magnificent stronghold are covered by a dense forest of centuries-old trees. Its origin is still unknown. The first reference dates back to the beginning of the 10th century. It seems that it underwent multiple changes in later centuries and reached the age of late feudalism in a sadly damaged state. It is known that in mid 1700s Erekle II restored Bochorma fortress and it is the traces of these works we can see now.
The old and newer walls of the fortress have been designed in a way that they followed the highly sophisticated landscape of the hill, thus making access to the town extremely difficult for the enemy. The entrance was located in the eastern side where the fortress is relatively easily accessible.
The fortress has two main parts. The citadel was built on the hill and served as a residential castle and hub of the stronghold. The now extant ruins include the remains of a formerly two-storey palace inside the citadel, with two halls, archs and fireplaces. The citadel also contained a cylindrical tower that has a good view of the gorges nearby.
The highest point of the fortress is occupied by the King’s Hall connected with the citadel with a 2 m wide inner lane. The palace offers a truly unforgettable view.
Military importance and security of Bochorma Fortress cannot be underestimated. In the mid 18th century, when Kartl-Kakheti Kingdom was frequently invaded by Lezghins, King Erekle II travelled personally to Kakheti to build Choeti Fortress and restore and fortify Bochorma. Historical records of the 18th century indicate that during one of the invasions of the enemy the king himself decided to send Queen Anna from Martkopi to Bochorma and called on the princes and lords to use the fortress as a shelter for their families.
Archaeological evidence indicates that Bochorma Fortress stayed a functioning fortification until the end of the 18th century.

[AerialExplorer]

City-fortress Ujarma is situated on the right bank of the river Iori, in 45 km to the east of Tbilisi on Gombory Range. Three main periods of construction are defined. In the second half of the 5th century, famous Vakhtang Gorgasal ‘erected numerous buildings in Ujarma’ and moved his residence there. After Vakhtang’s death, his heir Dachi was ruling Kakheti for some period from here. In the 10th century Ujarma was destroyed by Arabian forces of Abul Kassim. In the 13th century, the fortress was restored by King George III, where he arranged treasury.
City-fortress consists of two parts: citadel, located on the plateau of the rocky hill and city on the slope.
City was surrounded by the powerful protective wall with nine quadrangular towers. The towers are three-storied, covered by tiled roof with loop-holes. City gates were in the first tower.
A royal palace – two-storied building with a vault - was located in the eastern part of citadel. Premises were illuminated by big and broad windows and they had hanging balconies.
In the middle part of the citadel was ancient church ‘Jvar-Patiosani’ (Church of the Fair Cross). There were dwelling outhouses opposite the church and big reservoirs to keep water.
The whole main system of protection was established in the epoch of Vakhtang Gorgasal. Ujarma is referred to the best samples of fortification constructions of the ancient Georgia.
In the second period (12th century) the destroyed walls were restored and new fortifications and dwelling places were constructed.
The third period (17th – 18th cc) was represented restoration of destroyed parts of the citadel’s walls.
Nowadays, other restoration works are taking place.

[AerialExplorer]

In a several dozen kilometers from Tbilisi, a monastery founded by father Anton of Martkopi in the 6th century is to be found. He spent the last 15 years of his life there. He lived as a hermit, what is implied by the "of Martkopi” designation in Georgian. From this designation came the name of the Georgian village Akriani, which initially was called Martodmkopeli and later Martkopi.
The monastery itself is situated on the most beautiful slope of Mount Ialno. The main building is the church of the Divine-Made Icon. The remains of an ancient foundation indicate that on the place of the contemporary cathedral there was an ancient cathedral of greater size, but for some reason in was destroyed. On the threshold of the XVII-XVIII centuries it was reconstructed and the belfry, which was constructed in 1629 by master Akhverd, belongs to this period. In the XVII century the ancient frescos were destroyed and in 1848-1855 under the leadership of Ivane Arjevanidze, the monastery was restored.
For a long time, a Divine-Made image brought by St Anton of Martkopi from Edessa was stored at the monastery. But in 1395 it was lost during the Tamerlane invasion.
The most sacred place of the monastery is the tomb of St Anton of Martkopi, which has been preserved to this day and is considered miraculous. East of the monastery there is a tower where evidently resided the saint.
Famous dates of renowned people of Georgia are associated with the monastery. In this cathedral was married Alexander Chavchavadze, father of Ekaterine Dadiani – the last Queen of Samegrelo, and Nina Chavchavadze Griboedova.
Residents: monks and novices

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Gremi (Georgian: გრემი) is a 16th-century architectural monument – the royal citadel and the Church of the Archangels – in Kakheti, Georgia. The complex is what has survived from the once flourishing town of Gremi and is located east of the present-day village of the same name in the Kvareli district, 175 kilometers east of Tbilisi, capital of Georgia.

History
Gremi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti in the 16th and 17th centuries. Founded by Levan of Kakheti, it functioned as a lively trading town on the Silk Road and royal residence until being razed to the ground by the armies of Shah Abbas I of Persia in 1615. The town never regained its past prosperity and the kings of Kakheti transferred their capital to Telavi in the mid-17th century. There was big Armenian population. The Russian diplomat Fedor Volkonsky, who was here in the 17th century, said: "Armenians have own church and market behind one was other church". He also said about 10 Armenian churches near the palace of king.

The town appears to have occupied the area of approximately 40 hectares and to have been composed of three principal parts – the Archangels’ Church complex, the royal residence and the commercial neighborhood. Systematic archaeological studies of the area guided by A. Mamulashvili and P. Zak’araia were carried out in 1939-1949 and 1963-1967, respectively. Since 2007, the monuments of Gremi have been proposed for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Architecture
The Archangels’ Church complex is located on a hill and composed of the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel itself, a three-story castle, a bell tower and a wine cellar (marani). It is encircled by a wall secured by embrasures, turrets and towers. Remains of the secret tunnel leading to the Ints’obi River have also survived.
The Church of the Archangels was constructed at the behest of King Levan of Kakheti (r. 1520–1574) in 1565 and frescoed by 1577. It is a cruciform domed church built chiefly of stone. Its design marries traditional Georgian masonry with a local interpretation of the contemporary Iranian architectural taste.[2] The building has three entrances, one facing west, one facing to the south, and the third facing to the north. The interior is crowned with a dome supported by the corners of the sanctuary and two basic piers. The façade is divided into three arched sections. The dome sits on an arcaded drum which is punctured by eight windows.
The bell-tower also houses a museum where several archaeological artifacts and the 16th-century cannon are displayed. The walls are adorned with a series of portraits of the kings of Kakheti by the modern Georgian painter Levan Chogoshvili (1985).

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Kvareli fortress is one of the largest of the Kakhetian strongholds of the 16-18th cc. Forming a virtual square it is situated on a plain and is equally accessible from all sides. The corners are formed by towers of cylindrical shape, and the main entrance is located in one of them.The main wall is also subdivided by smaller towers. The whole structure hosts 3 main floors, with facilities and embrasures designed to hold a garrison strong enough to resist a siege of an army of twenty-five thousand, as recorded by a historical tradition. Decorations are scarce, which is similar to other Georgian fortresses. However, the entrances are accentuated by brick rhombs and crosses.Initially the citadelwas furnished by another wall, in about 20 meters inside the extant fortress. Georgians rarely built their fortresses on a plain, and if they did they usually chose a location with a secure water supply.In such case the strongholds were often protected with fosses, and Kvareli Fortress was similarly secured. The fortress was of strategic importance as a piece of defensive infrastructure for both Kakheti and the inner regions of the country from Lezghin invasions of the 18th c.

[AerialExplorer]

Kvareli fortress is one of the largest of the Kakhetian strongholds of the 16-18th cc. Forming a virtual square it is situated on a plain and is equally accessible from all sides. The corners are formed by towers of cylindrical shape, and the main entrance is located in one of them.The main wall is also subdivided by smaller towers. The whole structure hosts 3 main floors, with facilities and embrasures designed to hold a garrison strong enough to resist a siege of an army of twenty-five thousand, as recorded by a historical tradition. Decorations are scarce, which is similar to other Georgian fortresses. However, the entrances are accentuated by brick rhombs and crosses.Initially the citadelwas furnished by another wall, in about 20 meters inside the extant fortress. Georgians rarely built their fortresses on a plain, and if they did they usually chose a location with a secure water supply.In such case the strongholds were often protected with fosses, and Kvareli Fortress was similarly secured. The fortress was of strategic importance as a piece of defensive infrastructure for both Kakheti and the inner regions of the country from Lezghin invasions of the 18th c.

[AerialExplorer]

“Bebris Tsikhe" is an early to mid centuries castle in Kartli. It used to block the north side road of Aragvi ravine, this road went to Mtskheta. Vakhushti Bagrationi called it 'Belta Fortress.' The main part of the fortress was a citadel, which was surrounded by a triangular yard. There used to be three castles at three angles. There is archaeological evidence that there are antique and feudal age layers.

According to legend, this castle once belonged to a noble man named Simon. Simon had two children. One of his children was the beautiful Makrine and the other the heartless Mamuka. After the death of Simon, Mamuka charged local peasants at a high tax rate. Makrine felt sorry for the peasants, and asked Mamuka to lower their tax rate. Mamuka became furious at the request and locked Makrine in the castle.
One day, while some very watery and tasteless soup was being made for the peasants, a group of crows fell into the saucepans. Peasants poured all the soup away. Mamuka became very angry at seeing the waste of food. Mamuka began to chase the peasants.
Suddenly snakes came out of the saucepans and began circling Mamuka.
Mamuka feared for his life, and called out to God: “Help me and I will build you a church!”
Makrine witnessed this entire episode and began to pray. God heard this prayer and Mamuka and Makrine began living a religious life. Makrine became a nun and Mamuka became a monk.
Makrine ended up dying at 70 years of age. On the day of her funeral, a white bearded man visited her body, kissed her forehead, and said: “My sister, we have fulfilled our promise!”
After saying these words, he fell down and died. This is why this fortress is called “Bebris Tsikhe,” which means “The Elder’s Fortress.”
That's the legend of Bebris Tsikhe.