evidence: February in the Caucasus: the perennial conflict over the David Gareja monastery3 min read [...] The diplomatic row between Georgia and Azerbaijan over the David Gareja Monastery is a little known source of tension originally stemming from, you guessed it, messy Soviet border demarcation. It’s a sort of perennial conflict, burgeoning every few years only to lay dormant again [...] David Gareja is a matter of national importance for Georgia, arresting officials in a pre-election stunt to further disgrace the opposition may just do more harm than good in achieving full ownership of the monastery. A mutually agreeable solution between Baku and Tbilisi is as far off as ever so parts of the monastery will remain inaccessible. For now, tourists may want to rethink this as an idea for a day trip but hopefully Georgia will also rethink its strategy in achieving full rights to the monastery.