Georgia 🇬🇪 . The Didgori Battle Memorial. 20 July 2026

Our tour starts at 11:00 from our Hotel in Tbilisi and Miriam is once again our guide. Yay. The first stop is a viewpoint to the river Vere valley.

The valley looks so peaceful and onr cannot even see the river, however in June 13, 2015 a devastating flash flood in Tbilisi occurred when torrential rains and massive landslides caused the River Vere to burst its banks. 

The surging waters and mud ravaged the Vere Valley, washing away houses, completely submerging the Tbilisi Zoo, and heavily flooding major infrastructure including Heroes' Square. The tragedy claimed the lives of about 23 people. It also devastated the city’s wildlife, hundreds of animals drowned in their enclosures, while many dangerous animals including lions, tigers, bears, and wolves, escaped onto the city streets, forcing citizens to shelter in place. 

One of the most iconic images of the disaster was a rogue hippopotamus wandering through the flooded intersection at Heroes' Square.

In the aftermath, the city mobilized thousands of volunteers to aid in the cleanup and recovery efforts. The Tbilisi Zoo was partially rebuilt before eventually relocating to a safer, much larger environment on the outskirts of the city, and the destroyed Mziuri Park was restored. The tragedy also forced a nationwide reckoning on environmental management and urban planning.

I asked whether women play rugby in Georgia. I was told no and understand why, the women are beautiful and petite but Anamari who was assisting Mariana, learning to be a guide told me there are the 'mama men' they did everything during the war, farming, looking after the home. Both Mariana and Anamari kept us interested, they are knowledgeable and yet so young. Very impressed.

The Didgori Battle Memorial is a sprawling open-air monument complex located on Mount Didgori in Georgia, commemorating King David the Builder's "miraculous victory" over the Seljuk Empire on August 12.

It stands as a profound symbol of the liberation and unification that birthed Georgia’s medieval Golden Age.

The Central Pillar: A colossal column shaped like a traditional deda bodzi (the ancestral centerpiece pillar of medieval Georgian homes) anchors the site.

Giant Swords: Dozens of massive 4-meter-tall steel blades are driven directly into the earth. They simultaneously mimic grave crosses for fallen soldiers and the symbolic laying down of weapons after a hard-fought triumph.

The Watchful Owl: A stone amphitheater rests below the main ridge, guarded by a bronze owl sculpture representing vigilance over the battlefield.

Dismembered Warriors: Dramatic, bronze sculptures of fragmented soldier bodies are scattered across the hillsides to capture the raw chaos of medieval combat.