Celoten prostor na vrhu obsega le 150 kvadratnih metrov, za vzpon pa boste potrebovali kar nekaj plezalnih veščin in malo sreče.
Bolj od sveta skoraj ne morete pobegniti.
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Steber življenja ali Steber Katskhi je naravni apnenčasti monolit v istoimenski vasi v zahodni Gruziji, ki je obdana z dolino reke Katskhure.
Visok je približno 40 metrov, na njegovem vrhu pa so ostanki cerkve sv. Maksima Spovednika, katere gradnja sega v 9. ali 10. stoletje, kripta, vinska klet in ostanki nekdanje utrdbe. Videti je kot samostan v oblakih.
40 metrov visoka apnenčasta tvorba je kraj meditacije in molitve.
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Celoten prostor na vrhu obsega le 150 kvadratnih metrov in glede na to, da nima vgrajenega dvigala, je do njega mogoče priti le z rokami, nogami in malo sreče. Zato ne preseneča, da so bile stavbe na vrhu dolgo zanemarjene. Prvi zabeležen vzpon se je zgodil leta 1944, ko sta alpinista Alexander Japardze in Levan Gotua na vrhu našla truplo prejšnjega prebivalca, piše portal PunKufer.
/Amos Chapple (2596993e)
The Last Of The Stylites
In an isolated region of the Caucasus a Georgian monk is spending his days in prayer and silence atop a 40-metre pillar of limestone.
The Katskhi Pillar was used by stylites (Christian ascetics who lived atop pillars and eschewed worldly temptation) until the 15th century when the practice was stopped following the Ottoman invasion of Georgia.
For centuries the 40 metres (130ft) high pillar lay abandoned and locals could only look up at the mysterious ruins at its summit.
Finally, in 1944 a group led by the mountaineer Alexander Japaridze made the first documented ascent of the pillar and discovered the remains of a chapel and the skeleton of a stylite who had perished there.
Shortly after the collapse of communism, and the subsequent resurgence of religion in Georgia, local Maxime Qavtaradze decided to live atop the pillar in the way of the old stylites.
The now 59-year-old comments: "When I was young I drank, sold drugs, everything. When I ended up in prison I knew it was time for a change.
"I used to drink with friends in the hills around here and look up at this place, where land met sky.
"We knew the monks had lived up there before and I felt great respect for them".
In 1993 Maxime took monastic vows and climbed the pillar to begin his new life.
"For the first two years there was nothing up here so I slept in an old fridge to protect me from the weather."
Since then Maxime and the Christian community in the area have constructed a ladder to the top, rebuilt the church, and built a cottage where Maxime spends his days praying, reading, and "preparing to meet god".
As a result of the interest in the site there is now a religious community at the base of the pillar.
Men with trouble in their lives come to stay and ask for guidance from Maxime and the young prie...,Image: 232748709, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions:, Model Release: no
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Domneva se, da je šlo za kraj mirne kontemplacije in molitve, namenjen puščavnikom, ki so se želeli ločiti od preostalega sveta.
Danes se sem z bogom v glavnem pridejo pogovarjat menihi.
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Intenzivnejše raziskave so potekale med letoma 1999 in 2009, ko so bile stavbe s pomočjo Nacionalne agencije za ohranjanje kulturne dediščine Gruzije obnovljene, dodali pa so še cerkev Šimuna Stilita.
Ikona znotraj cerkvice na stolpu.
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Zadnji prebivalec stebra življenja je bil duhovnik Maxim Qavtaradze, ki je zgradil improvizirano stopnišče in se po njem dvakrat na teden spuščal in vzpenjal, ko je moral po opravkih. Danes so stopnice zaprte za javnost.
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