Doorless Shrine of Gogni in Gogni, Georgia

Georgians call it "Karugdebeli" -- literally, "Door-thrown-off". For as long as anyone can remember, no building on this holy mountain has been able to survive with its doors intact, so all its shrines remain open to the public 24 hours a day. The first shrine dedicated to St. George is said to have been built here in the 7th or 8th century C.E. - although, as is often the case in the Caucasus, a pagan holy place may have existed here long before. According to legend, when that shrine was built, the villagers tried to put doors on it a number of times, but each time, they returned to find the

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