Cave No. 11
Period: Early Middle Ages
Inventory:
Location: Qatardagh Ridge “Keshikchidagh” State Historical and Cultural Reserve
Width: 8.70 m
Length: 10.80 m
Height: 2.27m
Area: 93,96. m²
Traces of the earliest settlement in the Keshikchidagh cave complex go back thousands of years. Cave No. 11 is an artificial cave consisting of two interconnected chambers. The structure of the cave has a rectangular shape. Both outside and inside the cave there is a water well, and above it a food storage was built. Later, an iron door was installed at the entrance. This cave is larger compared to the others. From the interior, it is evident that the inhabitants created comfort for themselves. A prayer corner and a carved stone table for sitting were arranged. Inside the cave, ancient people used stone tools to perform various tasks, carving beds and niches into the walls. The walls of the cave were shaped to form small cells.
Frescoes dating to the late 19th – early 20th centuries were painted both on the ceilings and the walls of Cave No. 11. These frescoes, in addition to serving as important sources for researchers, demonstrate that during this period the cave had ceased to function merely as a dwelling space and had instead acquired the role of a religious and cultic sanctuary. The compositional style and principles of placement of the frescoes confirm that traditions of iconoplastics were maintained within the cave setting, incorporating ornamental and religious-symbolic depictions. The Georgians referred to this cave as “Bertuban” and used it as a cave-temple. The term “Bertuban” itself meant “Land of Temples.” The iconoplastic elements employed here provide grounds to assume the presence of representations associated with Jesus Christ, saints, and ecclesiastical symbols. This, in turn, indicates that the Keşikçidağ territory was not only an ethno-cultural space, but also one of significant importance for the development and manifestation of Christian religious traditions.
