Doomsday Disclosure

Vardzia cave-palace-monastery in Georgia's Caucasus Mountains. Built in 1185 by Georgians for Queen Tamar during the Mongol invasions, this underground sanctuary was carved into Erusheli mountain. Originally, it spanned 13 levels with 6,000 apartments, a throne room, and a church, accessed via a hidden tunnel near the Mtkvari River. Fertile terraces with intricate irrigation adorned the slopes. Though secure from Mongols, a 1283 earthquake laid waste to much of the Vardzia settlement. Despite this, monks lived there until a Persian raid in 1551. Today, devoted monks maintain 300 apartments; some still have functioning irrigation.