Ghliana Cave Natural Monument (Georgian: ღლიანას მრვიმე) is a karst cave located near village Kumistavi, Tsqaltubo Municipality in Imereti region of Georgia, 142 meters above sea level.[1]
Ghliana karst cave is carved in limestone and has two entrances. The main entrance has height 3.5-4 meters, and width – 7 meters.[2] The main underground stream flows from this entrance. The second entrance to the left from the main entrance is very steep and measures 35-40 m from cave floor to the surface. 60 meters from entrance there is a deep siphon lake, 3-4 m wide, 2.5 m height above lake surface and 50 meters long. Behind the lake there is a 200 m long siphon corridor with it floor under water with depth of 0.5-2 meters. Behind the corridor there is a gallery with a length of 30 m and a width of 1-2 m. It traverses the bigger 150 m gallery with ceiling covered with stalactites almost it entire length. This gallery again has water and several siphonous exits to the bottom of the cave. The underground flow measures 50-55 litre per second in a flood. The water streams from the cave end up in Kumi river.[3]
Numerous colonies of bats inhabit the dry corridors of the cave.[3]The inhabitants of the cave also include Trachysphaera, Attheyella, Pilocamptus, Deuterosminthurus, Proisotoma, Hypoaspis and Macrocheles.[4]
