Multidisciplinary Study and Development Strategy April 18,19, 20, 2019, Georgia Tbilisi 2020 PUBLISHED BY: Georgian Arts and Culture Center/ country representation of Europa Nostra in Georgia National Agency for the Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF: Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia (SRNSFG) [grant number: CG18_26] National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia SUPPORTED BY: Europa Nostra, European Investment Bank Institute, Creative Europe PROJECT LEADER Maka Dvalishvili, Director of the Georgian Arts and Culture Center Country Representative of Europa Nostra in Georgia ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Maka Dvalishvili Nikoloz Antidze Nana Kuprashvili Tamar Kiknadze Marita Sakhltkhutsishvili EDITOR: Ori Z Soltes CATALOGUE COORDINATOR: Marita Sakhltkhutsishvili DESIGN: Gega Paksashvili PHOTOGRAPHY ON THE COVER Davit Gareji Monastery. St. Davit’s Lavra, 6th C. (photo by Marita Sakhltkhutsishvili) © Georgian Arts and Culture Center/ The country representation of Europa Nostra in Georgia, National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia, Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia © Authors 2020 ISBN 978-9941-8-2198-1 Editorial Note: the publication has been published with the assistance of Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia, and National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia by Georgian Arts and Culture Center. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the authors and in no way reflect the views of the publishers. CONTENT Foreword, Maka Dvalishvili .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Foreword, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Conference bodies ........................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Preface, Piet Jaspaert .................................................................................................................................................................... 10 EUROPA NOSTRA/EIB INSTITUTE MISSION REPORT Europa Nostra and EIBI mission in Davit Gareji monasteries and hermitages (Georgia). Technical recommendations and some input. GAIANÈ CASNATI. Europa Nostra Council Member (IT) ..................................................................................... 14 HISTORIC, CULTURAL AND ART HISTORIAN ASPECTS OF DAVIT GAREJI MONASTERY COMPLEX The Historical Geography of Gareja: Past and Present GIORGI TCHEISHVILI. National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia (GE) .......................................................... 26 Archaeological Study of the Gareji Monastic Complex: Results and Prospects ZURAB TVALCHRELIDZE, NIKOLOZ MURGULIA The Medieval Cultural Heritage Centre of the Georgian National Museum (GE) .......................................................................... 32 Researching the Grave Found in the Chapel of the Natlismtsemeli Monastery DAVID LOMITASHVILI, LIA BITADZE, ELISO KVAVADZE, KETEVAN DIGMELASHVILI. Tbilisi State University, Georgian National Museum, National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia (GE) .............................................. 44 The Collection of Household Items Found in Davit Garejeli’s Lavra in 2017 NODAR BAKHTADZE, BACHANA GABEKHADZE, GIORGI KURTANIDZE Georgian National Museum; Ilia state University (GE) ................................................................................................................... 52 On the Earliest History of the Davit-Gareja Monastery: From the Anachoretic Community Towards Hybrid Lavra SHOTA MATITASHVILI. Tbilisi State University (GE) ....................................................................................................................... 60 The Davit Gareja Monastic Complex According to Georgian Hagiographic Texts EKA TCHKOIDZE. Ilia State University (GE) ...................................................................................................................................... 64 Identifying Neki and Daniel Nekis Dze (son of Neki), Authors of the 13th-14th cc. Scratched Inscription, made in the Davit Gareji Udabno Monastery’s Martyrium and the Scratched Inscription of the first half of the 15th c., made in the Annunciation Church NIKOLOZ ZHGENTI. Korneli Kekelidze Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts (GE) ................................................................... 69 The Portrait of Arsen I Kolonkelisdze Chkondidel-Mtsignobartukhutsesi (1170s) at the Kolagiri Monastery of Gareji: Historical and Source Study Analysis. TEMO JOJUA. Ilia State University (GE) .......................................................................................................................................... 75 Architecture of the Dodorka Monastery of Gareji DAVIT CHIKHLADZE. G. Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation (GE) ......... 80 The Newly Revealed Rock Carved Domed Church of Dodorka Monastery GEORGE GAGOSHIDZE. National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia (GE) ....................................................... 87 Vita Cycle of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki and His Holy Relics at Dodorka Monastery. MARINA BULIA. Giorgi Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation (GE) ......... 93 Theological Content of a Mural in a Church of the Tetri Udabno Monastery of Gareji LADO MIRIANASHVILI. “Udabno” Science Fund (GE) .................................................................................................................. 106 Painted Icons of St. Davit Garejeli in the Georgian National Museum (Images of the Saint in Medieval Georgian Art) NANA BURTCHULADZE. Georgian National Museum (GE) ........................................................................................................... 112 CAVE MONASTERIES AND INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT Monastic and Artistic Bridges: Davit Garejeli and Niko Pirosmanishvili within the Georgian Ethos ORI Z SOLTES. Georgetown University (USA) ................................................................................................................................ 122 The Predecessors of Davit Gareji: The Monastic Habitat in Egypt, Sinai, Palaestina and Syria. JOSEPH PATRICH. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL) ......................................................................................................... 128 The Rock-Carved Basilica Church at Selime in the Peristrema Valley, Cappadocia VERONICA KALAS. New York University (USA) ............................................................................................................................ 137 NATURAL HERITAGE OF DAVIT GAREJI Terrestrial Fossil Record from the Territory of the Davit Gareja Monastery Complex MAIA BUKHSIANIDZE. Georgian National Museum (GE) ............................................................................................................. 146 Floristic and Ecosystem Diversity of Davit Gareji Protected Landscape NIKOLOZ LACHASHVILI, KONSTANTINE KERESELIDZE. Ilia State University, Botanical Institute (GE) ........................................... 154 Earthquakes on the Territory of the Davit Gareji Desert according to the Historical Sources DAREJAN KLDIASHVILI, MIKHEIL ELASHVILI. Korneli Kekelidze Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts, Ilia State University, (GE) ............................................................................................................................................................ 163 SITE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION World Heritage Tentative List of Georgia: Davit Gareji – Challenges and opportunities TAMAR MELIVA, MANANA VARDZELASHVILI. National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia (GE) .................. 170 Keshikchidag Caves Complex MUSA MURSAGULOV. Head of the State Historical-Cultural Reserve “Keshikchidag”(AZ) .......................................................... 173 Fundamentals of environmental planning and management of the Davit Gareji proposed protected landscape. MZIA GABUNIA and JENTJE VAN DER WEIDE. Georgia’s Protected Areas Program, Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. (GE/NL) ........................................................................................................................................ 177 Instability processes affecting the rupestrian monastery complex area of Davit Gareja (Georgia). CLAUDIO MARGOTTINI, DANIELE SPIZZICHINO, GIOVANNI GIGLI, WILLIAM FRODELLA, MIKHEIL ELASHVILI, STEFANO ALBERTI, ANDREA VALAGUSSA and GIOVANNI CROSTA UNESCO Chair at Florence University; Maeci - Embassy of Italy in Egypt; ISPRA - Geological Survey of Italy; UNIFI – University of Florence; Ilia State University; University of Milano-Bicocca, (IT) ................................................................................................................ 185 Diagnostic Study and Emergency Stabilization of Wall Paintings in Church of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki at Dodorka Monastery NANA KUPRASHVILI, ALEXANDER RUBASHVILI, SALOME AKHALASHVILI,