Photos

Jvari Monastery (Georgian Orthodox Church) over viewing the valley where the old capital of Georgia, Mtskheta, is located.
This Monastery is very popular with newly wedded couples, who go there, with the whole entourage, for a customary picture.

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The World Heritage Site of Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgian kings 25 kilometers from the present-day capital of Tbilisi, is also the center of Georgia’s earliest Christian history. It was here in the fourth century that St. Nino, a female evangelist credited with converting the country to Christianity, erected a cross on Mtskheta’s highest peak. Beginning in A.D. 545, a church was constructed near the cross and was named the Small Church of Jvari (“holy cross” in Georgian). A second and larger church, named the Great Church of Jvari, was built nearby between A.D. 586 and 605. The Great Church is representative of the tetraconch architectural type that was popular in this small Black Sea nation since the beginning of the fifth century, and which served as a model for many other churches in the region. Unusual and varied relief sculptures decorate its façades. The importance of Jvari complex increased over time and attracted pilgrims from beyond Georgia’s borders. The Great Church is still used for major celebrations, and part of St. Nino’s cross remains visible to this day. (World Monuments Watch)