DESCRIPTION

Old Town Mtskheta-Samtavro and Jvari Monastery 

We will start our tour visiting   Ancient city of Mtskheta, Samtavro ( 4 century) and Jvari Monastery (6th century).

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century). Significant religious site is the Svetitskhoveli. It was built in the 11 th century (1010-1029) on the site of the Twelve Apostles Church, the first Christian Georgian church erected in the 4 th century. There is a religious legend, connected with this church origination, about Elioz, a citizen of Mtskheta, who found the Tunic of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. Elioz's sister – Sidonia – died as soon as she touched the tunic. She was buried wrapped in it. Soon a big tree, cedar of Lebanan, grew on Sidonia's grave. When the ruler Mirian decided to build a temple on the place where the Tunic of the God was buried the cedar was cut down. They made seven columns from the tree and began to install them in the church. Six columns were in place but the seventh was not; it was hanging in mid-air. The Baptist of Georgia, St. Nino prayed all night long and then the column “without a touch of a human hand” froze on its place and … started shedding holy ointment. The miraculous chrism cured patients of heavy illnesses. Hence the temple's name – Svetitskhoveli; in Georgian it means “the Life-Giving Pillar”. One of the greatest religious holidays of Georgia is Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba is dedicated to the Life-Giving Pillar and the Tunic of the God. It is marked two times a year (on July13th and October 14th).Next to Mtskheta, on top of a hill above the Aragvi River is the Jvari Monastery. This complex contains several buildings from different periods including a classic Georgian cruciform church dating from the mid-6th century. There are beautiful views from here.Due to its historical significance and several cultural monuments, the "Historical Monuments of Mtskheta" became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. As the birthplace and one of the most vibrant centers of Christianity in Georgia, Mtskheta was declared as the "Holy City" by the Georgian Orthodox Church in 2014.In 2016 the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta were placed by UNESCO under Enhanced Protection, a mechanism established by the 1999 Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

Back to Tbilisi Hotel

Package Includes:
Private Transportation
Guide
Entrance Tickets
Mineral Water

Package Does Not Include:
Lunch / Dinner
Any personal expenses