5 Mysterious And Impossible To Reach Ancient Places

From the forested Imereti region of Georgia protrudes an immense limestone monolith of deeply mysterious origins known as the Katskhi Pillar. Considered a symbol of the True Cross, the location is officially a Georgian Orthodox Church. Although mentioned in 18th Century Georgian literature, the Pillar was not studied by Westerners until the 1940s, when mountaineer Alexander Japaridze and writer Levan Gotua made the first documented ascent. Before reaching even the foot of the pillar, a substantial hike must be made, and, in its early years, only the bravest monks could climb the sheer face to the structure atop, enabling them to be closer to God. The pillar, which is around 131 feet high and offers astounding perspectives over the surrounding landscapes, is home to a ruined church with an area of approximately 500 square feet. Modern studies of these remains determined them to be of 9th or 10th Century origin and contain inscriptions from the 13th Century. The church comple