The chapel that is closer to God...

The high church: Chapel that really IS that little bit closer to God

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:45 PM on 24th February 2011

This is the church where religious leaders really are preaching from on high - perched 130ft on top of a pillar of rock.

The tiny church sits precariously on top of a jagged cliff which has been eroded by weather over almost 14 centuries.

It is believed that Pagans built the temple in the bizarre location as the pillar was thought to symbolise their god of fertility.

Heavens above: The tiny church is perched 130ft on top of a narrow pillar of rock in the Georgian city of Chiatura. The building can only be accessed by a steep ladder up the rock

But experts believe the building - near the city of Chiatura in the former Soviet republic of Georgia - was constructed on the mountain between the sixth and eight centuries.

Konstantin Murtkhveladze, 25, braved the perilous ascent up the pillar using a rusty ladder to take these pictures.

'The old ladder on the side of the pillar looks like it could snap at any time', he told the Daily Mirror.

Konstantin, from Tbilisi in Georgia, added: 'But once you get up there it sends a chill down your spine. It feels like a very special place.

'You can see the church poking above the landscape from far away as you approach. It’s an unbelievable sight.'

High and mighty: Father Maxim lives inside the church which is currently being restored by Volunteers. He said it has been his dream to live on top of the rock since he was a child

It is not known how the pagans who built the temple carried the materials up the steep pillar without large cranes that are used today.

The church is currently being restored with the help of brave volunteers who carry vital materials up the steep ladder.

Father Maxim, 55, who has lived in the church for 18 years, says he dreamed of living there as a child.

'Since I was a child I dreamed of settling on the top of this pillar as other hermits did in ancient times,' he said.

'When I came here with my friends I envied the monk who had lived there long ago – now I am here too I am happy.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1360114/The-high-church-Chiatura-really-IS-little-bit-closer-God.html#ixzz1EsrklsRV