| Bgheri Cave Natural Monument | |||
| Iucn Category: | III | ||
| Map: | Georgia#Georgia Imereti | ||
| Relief: | 1 | ||
| Nearest City: | Tskaltubo | ||
| Coordinates: | 42.384°N 42.63°W | ||
| Established: | 2011 | ||
| Governing Body: | Agency of Protected Areas | ||
| Website: | Bgheri Cave Natural Monument | ||
| Embedded: |
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Bgheri Cave Natural Monument (Georgian: ბღერის მღვიმე), also known as Bgheristskali cave, is a seasonal karst cave located near road between villages of Kumistavi and Qvilishori in Tsqaltubo Municipality in Imereti region of Georgia.[1]
Made of reef limestone (Barremian) cave was created by river Bgheristskali. The cave is in length and spreads over an area of . Initially the river creates a gorge with no openings and then flows into a narrow pond. Cave entrance is a long and high hole filled with fine sand and tree branches washed in from Bgheristskali river estuaries. Here Bgheristskali river is joined by permanent water flows from Melouri and Didghele caves. The river crosses an open space from east to west and disappears at the western ending in Nazvavi river and a small shallow siphon. Effects of erosion activity are clearly visible inside Bgheri Cave. It is characterized by huge halls, underground rivers with beautiful waterfalls and many amazing cave formations. Bgheri cave is part of extensive Tsqaltubo Cave system which also includes nearby cave Melouri.[2]
Access to the cave is seasonal. Cave entrance is closed during seasonal floods at Bgeristskali river. Visitors without special equipment can enter cave only at a time of droughts, when the level of the water is low and the entrance is opened.