Katskhi Pillar

The Katskhi Pillar abruptly rises 40 meters from the hills of Central Georgia and looks similar to a giant’s club. Its mythical aura made it a place of worship since humans settled this area. Prior to the arrival of Christianity, the pillar served as a pagan holy place for a long time and was most likely used for fertility rites.

In the 4th century, Georgia adapted Christianity as its state religion, as the second country in the world after Armenia. Slowly, and following a general world trend, Christianity replaced pagan places of worship with Christian ones to consolidate the new beliefs. Thus, the Katskhi Pillar became the site of a small church first built in the seventh century.

The church that sits atop the pillar resembles the practice of the Stylites who were early Christian ascetics who prayed on top of wooden pillars. Following the lead of the much-revered Saint Simeon Stylites, who sat atop a pillar for almost 40 years, these pious Christians tortured their bodies and devoted their spirits to their religion. The Katskhi Pillar also bears a striking resemblance to the famous Greek monasteries of Meteora.

The Georgian Orthodox Church is currently building a new small church at the top of the rock column, which can be reached via a combination of scaffolding at the lower half and a vertigo-inducing iron ladder at the upper half of the pillar. The earthly remains of a believer, who died atop the pillar at an unknown date, are kept at the contemporary church building. Women are not allowed to climb to the top.