Tskaltubo (Prometheus) Cave System: Some Issues of Research

In 1980s, the speleological team of the Institute of Geography (consisted of the leader Mr. Jumber Jishkariani and the members: Tamaz Kobulashvili, Amiran Jamrishvili, Vakhtang Kapanadze, Kote Nizharadze) have discovered and researched a complicated cave system with multiple stories and entrances, which has been unknown before for the scientists, located 150 m above the sea in the Village Kumistavi area, the Tskaltubo Municipality. In May 2012, the developed and improved karst object was opened for tourists. The cave had 80 700 visitors the first year, while the number of its visitors in the second year were 45 300. It welcomed more than 200 thousand tourists in a short period of time, among which over 50 000 were foreign visitors from different European countries.