Researchers associate the construction of chapels in such places with the practice of stylitism, which spread in the 6th century in Near Asia and especially Syria, with which Christian Georgia had close ties. One church (5th century) is built dry from roughly hewn local stone. The other (6th century) is constructed from well-cut squared blocks raised from below and has a crypt (lower floor – a burial chamber). It is unknown exactly when religious activity ceased on the Katskhi Column, but by the 18th century, no monks were active there.

Did you know that...

1. The architectural monuments on Katskhi Column were visited in 1944 by a mountaineering group led by Alexander Japaridze. Until recently, climbing the Katskhi Column was impossible without mountaineering equipment.

2. Climbing Katskhi Column is prohibited. In exceptional cases, with the blessing of local monks, only men are allowed to climb the column.

3. The chapels at the base and the top of the column have been restored thanks to Father Maxime, who lived there a few years ago.

4. In 2007, Father Maxime discovered a small, finely hewn limestone block among the ruins on Katskhi Column, inscribed with a ten-line Georgian asomtavruli (ancient script) inscription dated to the 13th century. The inscription mentions a certain “great sinner Giorgi,” who “built three houses” for hermits settled at the top of the column.