Month 24. The cave town of Vardzia
Giorgi, a history student, takes me to Vardzia, a whole town cut into a cliff in the south of Georgia. He's the best guide I could have.
Today: King Tamar and the golden age.
LIMBA audio course · Georgian
Hear it, then say it: learn to speak Georgian
- 37 audio lessons
- about 13 minutes each
- explained in simple English
This written course gives you the grammar, the words and the script. The LIMBA audio course trains your ear and your mouth: you listen, you repeat, you answer — the perfect complement to these lessons.
Download the Georgian audio courseOrder form · your download link arrives by email▶ Listen to lesson 1 for free
1Sam’s diary
2Dialogue
Sam
რა დიდი მღვიმეებია! ვინ ააშენა ვარძია?ra didi mghvimeebia! vin aashena vardzia?What huge caves! Who built Vardzia?
Giorgi
ვარძია მეთორმეტე საუკუნეში კლდეში ააგეს, გიორგი მესამისა და თამარ მეფის დროს.vardzia metormet'e sauk'uneshi k'ldeshi aages, giorgi mesamisa da tamar mepis dros.Vardzia was built into the rock in the twelfth century, in the time of George III and King Tamar.
Sam
მეფე? თამარი ხომ ქალი იყო!mepe? tamari khom kali iq'o!King? But Tamar was a woman!
Giorgi
კი, მაგრამ მას „მეფეს“ ეძახდნენ, არა „დედოფალს“. ის 1184 წლიდან 1213 წლამდე მეფობდა.k'i, magram mas „mepes“ edzakhdnen, ara „dedopals“. is 1184 ts'lidan 1213 ts'lamde mepobda.Yes, but she was called "king", not "queen". She reigned from 1184 to 1213.
Sam
ეს ოქროს ხანა იყო, არა?es okros khana iq'o, ara?That was the golden age, wasn't it?
Giorgi
დიახ. საქართველო ძლიერი იყო, აშენდა ბევრი ეკლესია და დაიწერა „ვეფხისტყაოსანი“.diakh. sakartvelo dzlieri iq'o, ashenda bevri ek'lesia da daits'era „vepkhist'q'aosani“.Yes. Georgia was strong, many churches were built and "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" was written.
Sam
თამარის სურათი არსებობს?tamaris surati arsebobs?Does a picture of Tamar exist?
Giorgi
კი, აქ, ვარძიის ეკლესიის ფრესკაზე! მისი ერთ-ერთი ყველაზე ძველი პორტრეტია.k'i, ak, vardziis ek'lesiis presk'aze! misi ert-erti q'velaze dzveli p'ort'ret'ia.Yes, here, in a fresco in the Vardzia church! It's one of her oldest portraits.
3New words
| Georgian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| კლდე | k'lde | rock, cliff |
| ააგეს | aages | they built |
| -ის დროს | -is dros | in the time of, during |
| დედოფალი | dedopali | queen |
| მეფობდა | mepobda | he/she reigned |
| ოქროს ხანა | okros khana | golden age |
| არსებობს | arsebobs | exists |
| ფრესკა | presk'a | fresco |
How to read the pronunciation
The pronunciation is written in English letters, following Georgia’s official romanization. Say every letter: a as in father, e as in pet, i as in machine, o as in port, u as in rule; r is rolled; g is always hard; kh as in Scottish loch; gh a soft gargled g, like a French r; sh as in shop; zh like the s in pleasure; ch as in church; ts as in cats; dz as in adze; j as in jam. An apostrophe marks a “popped” consonant, said with a little click in the throat and no puff of air: k’, p’, t’, ts’, ch’, q’ (q’ is made deep in the throat). Without an apostrophe, k, p, t, ts, ch have a small puff of air. Use the Pronunciation button at the top to hide or show it.
4Grammar and explanations
Reading years
Georgian reads years as cardinal numbers and puts წელსts'els ("in the year") after them:
| year | spoken |
|---|---|
| 1121 | ათას ას ოცდაერთ წელსatas as otsdaert ts'els |
| 1184 | ათას ას ოთხმოცდაოთხ წელსatas as otkhmotsdaotkh ts'els |
| 1213 | ათას ორას ცამეტ წელსatas oras tsamet' ts'els |
The number loses its final -იi before წელსts'els: ოცდაერთიotsdaerti → ოცდაერთ წელსotsdaert ts'els.
From… to…: -დანdan … -მდეmde
1184 წლიდან 1213 წლამდე მეფობდა.1184 ts'lidan 1213 ts'lamde mepobda.She reigned from 1184 to 1213.
In the time of: -ის დროსis dros
თამარ მეფის დროსtamar mepis drosin the time of King Tamar
ომის დროსomis drosduring the war
History verbs
| verb | meaning |
|---|---|
| მეფობდაmepobda | reigned (imperfect: a long period) |
| ააგეს / ააშენესaages / aashenes | they built |
| აშენდაashenda | was built |
| დაიწერაdaits'era | was written |
| დაამარცხაdaamartskha | defeated |
5Good to know
Tamar's great-grandfather, David IV, called დავით აღმაშენებელიdavit aghmashenebeli ("David the Builder"), won the battle of Didgori in 1121 and began the golden age that reached its peak under Tamar. The Georgian Orthodox Church venerates Tamar as a saint.
6Exercises
Choose an answer for each question, then press Check my answers. Score 70% or more and the lesson is ticked on your course map.
- When did Tamar reign?
- Why is she called მეფეmepe?
- "in the time of King Tamar" is…
- "from 1184 to 1213" is…
- How do you read 1121 წელსts'els?
- "She reigned" (for many years) is…
- "Many churches were built" is…
- Who won the battle of Didgori in 1121?
- What is a მღვიმეmghvime?
- "Does a picture of Tamar exist?" is…
Well done! Lesson 173 is ticked on your course map.
Say it, then write it
Say your answer out loud, write it down, then open the model answer.
- Say "in 1121"
Show the answer
ათას ას ოცდაერთ წელსatas as otsdaert ts'els - Say "in the twelfth century"
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მეთორმეტე საუკუნეშიmetormet'e sauk'uneshi - Say "during the war"
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ომის დროსomis dros - Say "Tamar reigned for almost thirty years."
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თამარი თითქმის ოცდაათი წელი მეფობდა.tamari titkmis otsdaati ts'eli mepobda. - Say "Vardzia was built in the twelfth century."
Show the answer
ვარძია მეთორმეტე საუკუნეში აშენდა.vardzia metormet'e sauk'uneshi ashenda.
Lesson finished? Now train your ear
Speak Georgian with the 37 LIMBA audio lessons
- 37 audio lessons
- about 13 minutes each
- explained in simple English
This written course gives you the grammar, the words and the script. The LIMBA audio course trains your ear and your mouth: you listen, you repeat, you answer — the perfect complement to these lessons.
Download the Georgian audio courseOrder form · your download link arrives by email▶ Listen to lesson 1 for free