Prometheus Cave Natural Monument


Prometheus Cave Natural Monument also known as Kumistavi Cave and Tsqaltubo Cave is a karst cave located in Tsqaltubo Municipality in Imereti region of Georgia.

Morphology

Prometheus Cave formed in Sataphlia-Tskaltubo karst massif. The total length of the cave is about 11 km, of which 1800 m are open to visitors. The cave has a total of 22 halls, six of which are currently open to tourists. Visitors currently could experience these caves at depths of about 80 mts below ground level.

Fauna

The inhabitants of the cave include Trachysphaera, Folsomides, Pseudachorutes, Inotrechus, Laemostenus, Bergrothia, Ceratophysella, Hypogastrura, Pseudacherontides, Sphaeridia, Folsomia, Plutomurus, Proisotoma, Campodea, Cochlicopa, Vitrinoxychilus, Physella, Codiella, Graptoppia, Oribella, Macrocheles and ''Xiphocaridinella.''

History

The cave was discovered and studied by Georgian speleologists in the early 1980s. It is part of a large cave system, united by one underground river. Currently, about 30 km of the river has been investigated, which is about half the length of the entire cave system.
In 1985 the conversion of the cave into a sightseeing tourist destination began. By 1989, a pedestrian route was laid in the cave for about 1 kilometer, stairs and paths were built, and a 150-meter tunnel was punched out at the exit and the construction of ground-floor buildings began. The cave was equipped with temporary lighting, and small groups of tourists started to visit.
In 1990, due to the Collapse of the [Soviet Union (1985–1991)|collapse of the Soviet Union] and a lack of funds, the project was closed. For several years a local citizen protected the cave from vandals, as memorialized by a statue of him and his dog at the cave's entrance.
In 2007, 17 years after the closure of the project, the Georgian authorities returned to the idea of converting the cave into a tourist destination once again. President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who visited the cave in 2010, gave an impetus to transform the cave into a tourist attraction. He also suggested a new name for the cave — Prometheus Cave, as according to legend the Greek god Prometheus was chained to the mountains in this area. After restoration works, the cave was reopened to visitors on May 26, 2011.