- Sort by
- Date
Feel free to add tags, names, dates or anything you are looking for
Feel free to add tags, names, dates or anything you are looking for
Tsaishi, located about 10 km southwest of Zugdidi in the Samegrelo province, is the site of one of the oldest episcopal sees in western Georgia. In the register of bishoprics compiled under the name of the early Christian theologian Epiphanius of Salamis—but actually written in the seventh century—the bishop of the Saisins is listed among the hierarchs of Lazica, a reference corresponding to what later became Tsaishi.
Melaani is a village in the Gurjaani Municipality of Kakheti Province. Its history spans centuries, as evidenced by archaeological finds dating back to the late Bronze and Iron Ages.
Mtsvaneqvavila is a neighborhood in Kutaisi, located on an elevated plateau on the left bank of the Rioni River. In the Middle Ages, it was a suburban village and only became part of the city in the nineteenth century.
Borjomi, well known for its mineral waters, developed into a popular spa town in the second half of the nineteenth century. Among the buildings from that period, one of the most remarkable is the New Cavalry House. It is located in the historic Remmert Park, now named after Merab Kostava. The park was established in the 1870s on the initiative of Adolf Remmert, head of the Caucasus Mineral Waters Office, who played a significant role in the development and promotion of Borjomi.
In the tenth century, the mountainous province of Khevi experienced a surge in construction activity. One of the most important churches built during this period is located on the edge of the village of Sioni, 10 km southwest of Stepantsminda, the administrative center of the Kazbegi municipality.
The environs of the village of Kalauri in Kakheti are particularly rich in Medieval architectural monuments. The Church of St. George stands approximately one kilometer south of the village, in an old cemetery surrounded by large deciduous trees.
Khirsa Monastery, located in the village of Tibaani in Sighnaghi Municipality, Kakheti Province, is one of the oldest monastic foundations in Georgia. It was established in the mid-sixth century by St. Stephen, one of the group of monks known as the “Thirteen Syrian Fathers.” The Church of St. Stephen, standing at the center of the precinct, reflects the monastery’s turbulent history. With its irregular forms and walls constructed from various materials, it bears traces of at least four major construction periods.
In the 1540s, Queen Tinatin, wife of King Levan of Kakheti (1520-1574), established the monastery of Akhali Shuamta. Akhali in Georgian means “new,” and the place was referred to in this way so as to distinguish it from Dzveli (“old”) Shuamta, a renowned early Medieval monastery located two kilometers away, which was closed and abandoned at Tinatin’s order.
Sericulture in Georgia has a long-standing tradition. In the nineteenth century, recognizing the economic importance of the industry, Russian authorities took steps to promote its development. In the early 1880s, the idea arose to establish a silk farming station in Tbilisi. In 1886, the plan was finalized. The organization of the station was entrusted to biologist Nikolay Shavrov, who went on to lead it for many years.
The village of Kortskheli is located in the Samegrelo region, approximately eight kilometers northeast of Zugdidi. The Church of the Mother of God stands on the edge of the village, surrounded by subtropical trees. Over the past two centuries, a cemetery has been developed around it.
Borjomi Central Park, formerly known as Mineral Waters Park, is situated in the narrow gorge of the Shavtskala (Borjomula) River. Its history is closely tied to that of the Borjomi spa itself.
Batumi, Georgia’s maritime gateway, boasts a long and rich history. In the Late Middle Ages, the city fell under Turkish control, and became part of the Ottoman Empire, a status it retained until 1878, when it was taken over by the Russian Empire. During the final years of Ottoman rule, Batumi was home to a diverse, multiethnic population, including a sizeable Orthodox Christian community that was primarily made up of Greeks. Between 1865 and 1871, this community built a church in their neighbourhood that was dedicated to St Nicholas, located at the present-day intersection of King Parnavaz and Zviad Gamsakhurdia streets.
Bediani is a small town in Tsalka Municipality, located in the historic province of Trialeti. It was established in 1954 in connection with the construction of the Khrami Hydroelectric Power Station. The medieval Monastery of the Mother of God is situated on the edge of the town, on a wooded hillside. Prior to the founding of the town, the area around the monastery was uninhabited for many years. The historic name of the site is Vardisubani.
In the nineteenth-century, Kutaisi was the second-largest city of Georgia and a center of governance within the Russian Empire. By the end of the century, the construction of administrative and public buildings in the city had significantly increased. Among these new buildings was the District Court, built between 1898 and 1900. Located at the end of present-day Newport Street, near the bank of the Rioni River, the court building plays a prominent role in the city’s urban landscape. Today, it houses the Kutaisi Court of Appeals.
_Large.png)
Skhalta Church, dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God, is located in Achara[U1] , on the right bank of the Skhaltistsqali River, approximately 80 km east of Batumi. It is the only well-preserved Medieval church in the historic province of Achara, a region that became heavily Islamized following its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the mid-sixteenth century.
.png)
Skuri Church of the Transfiguration is located in the Samegrelo province, nestled in a picturesque gorge 15 km northeast of Tsalenjikha. It stands in a small field surrounded by wooded mountains, harmonizing beautifully with its natural setting. The exact construction date of the church is unknown, but its architectural features suggest it was built in the late thirteenth century.
Zegani Monastery, nestled in a picturesque, dense forest near the village of Zegani in the Gurjaani Municipality of Kakheti, was established in the late sixth or early seventh century. Among its oldest buildings are the main church, dedicated to the Mother of God, and the Chapel of St Marina.
Catholics from Western Europe settled in Tbilisi in the 1230s. In 1240, Dominican monks founded a monastery in the capital. In 1328, by decree of Pope John XXII, the Episcopal Diocese of Tbilisi was established and the St John the Baptist Cathedral was erected. In the fifteenth century, the bishopric and the monastery were both abolished. From the 1630s, Catholic missionaries again arrived in Tbilisi, firstly from the Theatine Order and later the Capuchin Order. In the eighteenth century, the Capuchins had their mission with the Church of the Annunciation in Kvemo Kala district, on what is now Abesadze (formerly Catholics’) Street. In 1755, King Teimuraz II expropriated the church from the Catholics and bestowed it on the Orthodox Church. In Soviet times, the church building was redeveloped into an apartment building (13 Abesadze Street).
In the late fifth century, King Vakhtang Gorgasali of Iberia (Eastern Georgia) established twelve new episcopal sees in his kingdom. One of these was Nikozi, where according to his chronicler, Vakhtang built a church “on the hearth of a fire-temple.”
Martvili is one of the most sacred sites in Georgia. According to tradition, St Andrew the Apostle cut down an oak worshiped by the pagans on this site and, after they had converted to Christianity, founded a church, the altar of which stood on the roots of the felled oak. The tradition is reflected in the ancient name of the place, Chkondidi, meaning “big oak.”
Pitareti Monastery was founded during the reign of King George IV, also known as Lasha-Giorgi (1213-1222), son of the celebrated Queen Tamar. It is set among the mountains in a picturesque ravine, 25 km south-west of the town of Tetritsqaro in Kvemo Kartli Province. The monastic complex comprises the Church of the Mother of God, a bell tower, the ruins of subsidiary buildings, and a circuit wall.
Ikalto Monastery is located in the Kakheti region, 10 km from the city of Telavi. It was founded in the sixth century by Zenon, a monk from the “Thirteen Assyrian Fathers”. In the early Middle Ages, Ikalto was one of the largest monasteries in eastern Georgia. It is believed that in the 1120s, the eminent churchman and theologian Arsen of Ikalto (Ikaltoeli) established an academy there, which functioned until the late Middle Ages.
This archaeological site, located near the village of Nokalakevi in the Samegrelo province, boasts a rich history dating back to Antiquity. The first fort, known in Georgian chronicles as Tsikhegoji, is believed to have been established there as early as the third century BC. Over time, it evolved into a significant fortified city referred to by early Byzantine historians as Archaeopolis, and described as a "large and ancient fort" in Justinian’s Novels. Serving as the capital of the kingdom of Lazica from the fourth to eighth centuries AD, the city held considerable strategic importance.
The Church of the Mother of God is located in the village of Metekhi, in Kartli Province. Legend attributes its foundation to the fifth-century Georgian king Vakhtang Gorgasali, although there is no archaeological or architectural evidence to support such an early date. The extant church was built in the first half of the thirteenth century and restored several times in the late Middle Ages and Modern times.
The Church of the Mother of God is located in the village of Metekhi, in Kartli Province. Legend attributes its foundation to the fifth-century Georgian king Vakhtang Gorgasali, although there is no archaeological or architectural evidence to support such an early date. The extant church was built in the first half of the thirteenth century and restored several times in the late Middle Ages and Modern times.
Pudznari Church of the Mother of God is located near the village of Bodavi, in the gorge of the River Bodaviskhevi, the left tributary of the Aragvi River. It stands on a flat location at the bottom of a hill, in the center of an enclosed courtyard.
.JPG)
The presence of a Jewish diaspora in Georgia has been attested since ancient times. In late antiquity, a significant Jewish community existed in Mtskheta, where they established a synagogue. In the Middle Ages, Jewish populations resided in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Akhaltsikhe, Tskhinvali, and many other towns and cities.
The Church of the Savior is located near the town of Tsalenjikha in the historic province of Samegrelo. It stands in the middle of a vast courtyard that is surrounded by an enclosing wall.
The Church of St. Eustace stands in the middle of the village of Ertatsminda, within a large courtyard that is encircled by a stone wall. The toponym Ertatsminda derives from Estatetsminda, which in Georgian means St. Eustace.
Sapara Monastery occupies a picturesque location on steep terrain in the mountains of Samtskhe Province, about 10 km south-east of Akhaltsikhe.
Manglisi is one of the oldest Christian sites in Eastern Georgia. The first church was built at the location in the fourth century, soon after the Kingdom of Iberia had officially adopted Christianity as the state religion in around 330. As the Georgian compendium The Conversion of Kartli reports, King Mirian asked Constantine the Great to send priests in order to perform baptismal rites, and master builders for the erection of churches in his kingdom. The emperor fulfilled the request and sent Bishop John, who brought the suppedaneum (foot rest) and nails from the True Cross to Georgia. According to Georgian chronicles, Manglisi was the location Bishop John selected for the building of a church that would house the holy relics he had brought from Constantinople.
Tsughrughasheni Church is situated 2 kilometres from Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral, on the right bank of the Bolnisitskali River in Kvemo Kartli Province. Standing on a slightly sloping hillside, the church is visible from afar and dominates the surrounding landscape.
The Church of St. George stands in a thick forest on the edge of Daba village in the historic province of Tori, which has also been referred to as Borjomi Gorge since the nineteenth century. The church is built right up against a steep cliff, and its southern wall is nestled in the concavity of the rock.
The Gurjaani Kvelatsminda Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, which is located near the town of Gurjaani in Kakheti, is one of the most remarkable medieval buildings in Georgia. It was built in the eighth century, during the age of Arab rule and the formation of new Georgian states, when church architecture underwent considerable transformation. This complex process of change is referred to as a transitional period in the development of Georgian architecture.
Tbilisi’s Muslim population appeared after the conquest of the city by Arabs in the early eighth century. Several mosques were erected in Tbilisi during the Middle Ages. The largest among them was the Shi’a mosque that stood on the right bank of the Mtkvari, close to the river. According to oral tradition, it was built by Shah Ismail I of Iran, who invaded Georgia and occupied Tbilisi from 1522 to 1524.
The church in Tsromi is one of the most important early medieval buildings in Georgia, from both architectural and historical points of view. According to tradition, the church was erected at the place where St. Razhden the Protomartyr, a fifth-century Iranian convert to Christianity, was executed.
The Church of the Savior of Mghvimevi, which dates from the 1270s, stands on a steep cliff face high above the road in a suburb of the city of Chiatura in Imereti. It is built in front of a natural cave, and is partly sheltered by a large overhanging steep ledge of rock (the name of the place derives from Mghvime, which means cave in Georgian). The site was artificially widened by means of a high platform built up against the rock.
Pushkin Street house Nº 3 stands on Freedom Square, near the historic Kojori Gate, from where the nineteenth-century development of Tbilisi’s Garetubani District began.
Ateni is located in Shida Kartli province, 15 km from the town of Gori. The church known as Sioni (i. e. Zion) stands on a giant artificial platform constructed atop a cliff at a bend in the Tana River gorge.
Kvatakhevi Monastery is located in the province of Shida Kartli, deep in the Kavtura River Gorge, far from any towns or villages. The monastic buildings occupy a plot of land that lies between forest covered mountains.
Chitakhevi Monastery, which is popularly known as the Green Monastery, is located in a peaceful picturesque ravine about 15 km from the spa town of Borjomi.
Martqopi Monastery is located about 25 km east of Tbilisi. Its history goes back to the mid-sixth century when St. Anton, one from the group of monks known as the “thirteen Syrian Fathers,” settled here.
The main building of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University has a particular significance for the city from architectural, urban, and historical points of view. The building was designed by architect Simon Kldiashvili. Financed entirely by donations from Georgian society, construction began in 1900 and was mostly completed by 1906.
.jpg)
The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, which is located in Zemo (Upper) Kala District and known as Anchiskhati, is the oldest preserved church in Tbilisi. Its plan, architectural design, and building technique suggest a date in the early Christian period.
Gremi is the former capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti. Its archaeological site includes a citadel, royal quarter, and trade district. The Church of the Archangels in the citadel was built by King Levan in 1565. It is one of the best examples of the sixteenth-century Georgian architecture
.JPG)
The National Botanical Garden of Georgia is located in the gorge of the Tsavkisis-Tskali River (a tributary of the Kura River), near the old district of Tbilisi. To the north, the Garden is bordered by a mountain ridge surmounted by the Medieval fortress, Narikala.
The Monastery of St. Nino at Bodbe is located in Kakheti region, 2 km from the town of Sighnaghi. The history of the site goes back to the early Christian period. According to Georgian tradition, Bodbe is the burial place of St Nino, the Enlightener of Georgia.
Having existed since early antiquity as a small settlement and converted by Romans into a fort around AD 300, Petra became a city thanks to the efforts of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, who in the early 530s enclosed it within a strong defensive wall and constructed new buildings at the site.
-min.jpg)
Ananuri is a picturesque castle located in the Aragvi Gorge. Looking out over the foothills to the plain beyond, the castle is a notable landmark along the historic road that connects Georgia to the North Caucasus.
Building number eight on Marjanishvili Street in Tbilisi, which presently houses the Kote Marjanishvili State Academic Drama Theatre, was constructed between 1902 and 1907 according to the design of architect Stephan Krichinski, and under the supervision of architect Alexandr Rogoiski.
The rock-hewn town of Uplistsikhe, which is located in Shida Kartli region on the higher left bank of the Kura River near Gori, is one of Georgia’s most remarkable landmarks. It was an important urban centre during Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The name Uplistsikhe means “Fortress of God.”
Samtavisi Cathedral is located in Shida Kartli region (central Georgia), on the eastern bank of the Rekhula River. The first church on this site was founded in the 570s by Isidore, a monk from the group of so-called “Thirteen Syrian Fathers.”
The Cathedral of St. George at Alaverdi is located 18 km from the town of Telavi in the Alazani Valley. Standing on a plain with the Greater Caucasus Mountains in the distance, the cathedral dominates the surrounding landscape. It is visible from many neighboring towns and villages, and is one of the landmarks of the Kakheti region.
Shiomghvime Monastery is set among the mountains in a picturesque ravine, 10 km west of Mtskheta. Its history dates back to the mid-sixth century when St. Shio, from the group of monks known as the “thirteen Syrian Fathers,” settled here.
The house number thirteen on Machabeli Street in Tbilisi is distinguished both for its history and architecture. It belonged to the famous Georgian brandy producer David Sarajishvili, known not only for his prosperous entrepreneurship, but also for his charitable activity.
Near the village of Geguti, 7 km south of Kutaisi, where the Rioni Valley opens into a wide plain, stands a large ruined palace that once belonged to the Georgian monarchy. It has been supposed that the palace was built on the remains of a Roman castellum, which can be identified as being that of Mocheresis mentioned by ancient authors.
In ancient times, a large fortress known as Apsaros was located in the modern village of Gonio, and served as one of the most important Roman strongholds in the Eastern Black Sea region. Although the exact date of its foundation is unknown, it is believed to have been built in the first century AD, and restored in the fourth and sixth centuries.
In the later half of the fifth century, the king of Iberia (east Georgia) Vakhtang Gorgasal established a number of new dioceses and built cathedrals in their centres. One of the most important among them is the Sioni (Zion) Cathedral at Bolnisi.
Zedazeni is one of the oldest Georgian monasteries. Its history dates back to 510s, when St. John of Zedazeni (Ioane Zedazneli in Georgian), the leader of the group of monks known as “thirteen Syrian Fathers,” secluded himself on the summit of Mount Zeda Zadeni.
Akhaltsikhe is one of the oldest Georgian cities, being known from written sources since the twelfth century. As an important military stronghold and regional political centre, it always attracted the attention of neighboring powers that aimed to dominate over the South Caucasus region. In the 1570s, Akhaltsikhe was conquered and remained under Ottoman rule until 1828, when the city was captured by the Russian Empire.
History of Tbilisi hotels is one of the bridges that link Georgian history with European history.
The first opera performances in Tbilisi were staged in the mid-nineteenth century. The present building of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre was constructed from 1880 to 1896 by Viktor Schroeter, a prolific architect from St-Petersbourg who worked in many cities of the Russian Empire.
The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta is Georgia’s most famous landmark. According to Georgian tradition, it stands on the burial site of the Christ's chiton.
After the conversion of Iberia (east Georgia) around 330, St Nino, the illuminatrix of Georgia, erected a large wooden cross on the mountaintop near Mtskheta, which drew a lot of worshippers. Chroniclers mention it as an important pilgrimage site and one of the most sacred places in the Caucasus. Between 545 and 586, a small church, the so-called Minor Church of the Holy Cross, was built next to the cross. The Major church that covered the wooden cross was constructed between 586 and 605. It is a tetraconch, i. e. a domed building with four apses arranged in the cardinal directions. Between the apses there are additional chambers in all four corners, which communicate with the central space by means of 3/4 circular niches. The transition from the central square bay to the octagonal drum and further to the circle of the dome is effected through three rows of squinches.
The Christian architecture in Georgia begins around 330, when Christianity became the state religion. The newly converted King Mirian built the first church in the royal garden in Mtskheta, the ancient capital of East Georgian kingdom, on the site believed to be the burial place of the Christ's chiton. Emperor Constantine, willing to promote King Mirian's building activity, sent architects and masons to Georgia. Chronicles say that "the Greeks" built four churches in different regions of the country, but Constantinopolitan builders did not exert essential influence on the further development of Georgian church architecture.