Mtskheta - the ancient capital of Georgia - is twenty kilometers from the current capital, the beautiful Tbilisi. Today it is a small town, famous far beyond the borders of the country for its unique historical and architectural monuments.
Probably there are no more places of worship than in Mtskheta in Georgia. Thanks to this, the city is often called the Second Jerusalem. Thousands of tourists from different countries come to Georgia annually and inspect its memorable places with deep interest. What are the sights of Tbilisi? Mtskheta, whose monuments are included in the UNESCO heritage list, is usually included in all sightseeing tours. We will make a virtual walk!
A bit of history
For the first time, the ancient city is mentioned in chronicles dating to the end of the first millennium BC. At that time, Mtskheta became the capital of Iveria. However, the legends transmitted by the locals increase the age of the city. They say that its founder was Mcekhotos - the son of King Kartli. The name of the settlement went on his behalf. And on behalf of Kartli is the name of the people, who later founded the state of Kartveli (present-day Georgia).
Mtskheta, whose attractions make it possible to judge the glorious past of the state, has always been a welcome trophy for warlike neighbors. Persians, Greeks, Turks, Romans tried to conquer this city ... For more than a thousand years, Mtskheta was the capital of a proud southern country.
In the fifth century, King Vakhtang Gorgasali built a magnificent city (present-day Tbilisi) and transferred his residence to it. Mtskheta - the ancient capital of Georgia, the photo of which you can see below - did not come to desolation at this time. The city remained the religious capital of the country, since there was the throne of the head of the Christian church - the Catholicos.
Mtskheta - the ancient capital of Georgia: attractions
It is no secret that Georgia is famous for its extraordinary nature, magnificent landscapes, amazing cuisine and amazing hospitality of local residents. We want to start acquaintance with the ancient city with its natural monuments.
Aragvi
This is the most famous and popular river in the country. In her honor are called restaurants and cafes, drinks, local residents name their children by her name. More recently, in Russian textbooks, the river was called Aragva. Along it runs the Georgian Military Highway, which was described by A.S. Pushkin. There is also a man’s monastery, which M. Yu. Lermontov mentioned in his works.
Aragvi originates in the south of the Greater Caucasus, at the confluence of the rivers White and Black Aragvi, Pshavskaya. The result is a pool of 2740 square kilometers. The famous river carries its waters to a distance of more than 66 kilometers, then flows into the Kura.
Lagodekhi National Park
Mtskheta (Georgia), the sights of which belong not only to ancient times, attract tourists with its beautiful parks created at the beginning of the XXI century. First of all, it is necessary to name Lagodezhi National Park, which was created in 2003. It occupies a huge area - 1996 ha.
Natural ecosystems, waterfalls and ponds are preserved here, you can see many rare plants, and a huge number of animals live in the forests - brown bears, red deer, wolves, chamois, roe deer. The park has specially designed several routes for tourists. The shortest of them - three kilometers long - begins at the main entrance and leads to a beautiful seven-meter waterfall, amazing in its beauty. The route is designed for two hours.
The longest route is designed for more prepared tourists. The tour lasts three days. Tourist groups are formed near the village of Ninigori, their route lies past a picturesque lake and the ancient fortress of Mitsimi.
Javari Temple
The amazing city of Mtskheta! Sights (and reviews of tourists about the city confirm this) have gained worldwide fame largely due to the unique religious buildings that have been preserved here since ancient times. One of them, of course, is the Javari Temple.
Translated from Georgian, its name means "cross". Legend has it that at the beginning of the 4th century, Saint Nino stuck a wooden cross in the ground in this place. Previously, there were pagan idols that fell after the prayers of Nino.
Two hundred years later, a temple was built here. It was erected for the sole purpose of preserving the holy cross, which stood on top and was a place to which many pilgrims gathered. Today, city guests can visit the ancient temple. In shape, it resembles an octagonal drum covered by a hexagonal dome that crowns the cross.
Inside it is a small room, on the walls of which there are icons. The walls are not burdened with excessive decor, except perhaps for reliefs on the facades. The interior is complemented by a mosaic, which, unfortunately, has only partially been preserved.
In Soviet times, the temple complex was closed. After Georgia gained independence, its religious significance was restored. Since 1996, there has been a man’s monastery. In 2007, Jvari was restored. The temple is under the protection of UNESCO.
Svetitskhoveli Temple
Many residents of Georgia believe that this holy, prayed place is the ancient city of Mtskheta. Sights, photos of which you can see in our article, are protected by the state.
Svetitskhoveli Temple is one of the most revered in Georgia. The majestic church was the home church of the patriarch. Here the kings of Iveria were buried. The construction of the national shrine was led by the architect Arsukidze. The temple during its long history was repeatedly destroyed, but, fortunately, it was restored quite quickly.
True, traces of the reconstruction are visible today. The temple was especially badly damaged at the end of the 14th century, after the invasion of Tamerlane.
Description
Today, not only tourists, but also historians are still interested in Mtskheta. The sights of this city are of great historical value. Svetitskhoveli Temple is a vivid example of a cult structure of the cross-dome type. The facade has outgoing limits (on both sides). They are decorated with arched reliefs. Behind the facade is the second tier - the main building of the cathedral, directed upward. It is built in the shape of a rectangle with a faceted drum rising in the center and a pointed dome.
The facades of the temple are covered with stone carvings, characteristic of Georgian architecture of the X-XI centuries. Arched windows are decorated with magnificent carved reliefs with the image of flying angels. It should be noted that the appearance of the temple has not undergone any major changes since 1029, when it was created by the great master - architect Arsukidze.
Today you can see tombstones of famous representatives of the Bagrationi clan. At the altar are the graves of the last rulers of Georgia - George X and Heraclius II. Here lies the remains of King Vakhtang Gorgasali.
Betlem cave
Even very experienced travelers can surprise Mtskheta (Georgia). The sights of this city are a world heritage that all residents of the country are proud of. This also applies to the ancient Betlemi cave monastery complex, located on the top of Kazbek.
In 1947, Levan Sudzhashvili at the very top of the mountain discovered the entrance to the cave. It was protected by an iron gate. A year later, an expedition was organized, led by Alexandra Dzhaparidze. The entrance to the temple was at an altitude of 400 meters.
Researchers discovered a five and a half meter long chain hanging from the entrance. To their surprise, she did not even rust. Climbing along it and overcoming a narrow passage, the expedition members saw a domed arch, rounded walls of the temple and a floor lined with quadrangular stone slabs. There, a banner, a church throne, and coins were discovered.
Not far from the cave were monastic cells carved into the rock, a pillar, a gravestone and a stone cross. Scientists believe that the inhabitants left the temple about 100 years ago. In ancient Georgian chronicles Betlemi Cave is mentioned several times. Associated with her are the countless treasures of Queen Tamara, not found so far.
In 2000, another expedition was completed, which included priests of the Georgian Orthodox Church. It was decided to consecrate the cave as a working temple. Catholicos Elijah II consecrated it and allowed only men to enter the temple.
Bebri Fortress (Bebritsikhe)
We have already said that from ancient times the conquerors were interested in Mtskheta. The sights of the city indicate that the townspeople tried to protect it. In the Middle Ages, the Berbi fortress was built here, designed to protect Mtskheta. It should be clarified that during excavations, archaeologists discovered more ancient artifacts dating back to the 1st century BC.
Samtavro Monastery
Where the two great Georgian rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi merge, Samtavro Monastery is located , which includes the Samtavro Transfiguration Church and the building of the St. Nino Monastery.
The first church appeared on the site of a blackberry. According to legend, Saint Nino came here for solitary prayer. During the reign of King Mirian, the Samtavro temple began to be erected on this earth. This huge building was restored several times after the attacks of Tamerlane, as well as after the terrible earthquake that occurred in 1283.
Today, tourists and pilgrims can visit the Church of St. Nino, the Transfiguration Church, pray in the churches of John Chrysostom and St. John the Baptist, admire the unique temple iconostasis of the 15th century and amazing frescoes of the 17th century.
Zedazensky monastery
This is an architectural and historical monument of the VI century. The monastery is located on the banks of Aragvi, near the city of Mtskheta. It was founded by the Assyrian father John. After the attacks on the monastery of the Iranian Shah Abbas (XVII century), the monastery was empty. In its current form, it was erected at the old fortress at the beginning of the VIII century.
The small structure resembles a three-nave basilica built of Georgian ashlar. In the east wing there is a carved altar, and behind it you can see a picture of the VII century, which depicts the duel of St. George with a snake. The relics of the monastery are the holy relics of John of Zedazensky. He was buried under a horseshoe-shaped stone canopy.
Mtskheta: attractions. Tourists reviews
Most travelers who have visited Georgia primarily note the beauty of this country. The magnificent nature and extraordinary architecture leave the most vivid and memorable trip experience.
As for Mtskheta, then, according to tourists, this is the pearl of the country, which should be protected so that our children and grandchildren can admire the unique creations of ancient masters.