Alaverdi is a cathedral and one of the main architectural attractions of Georgia. This temple is considered the largest and oldest in the country. Every year in September, everyone who wants to celebrate Alaverdoba comes to the walls of this religious building. Alaverdoba is a religious holiday that is held in honor of the Alaverdian Bishop Joseph. Alaverdi Cathedral and the monastery complex make a powerful impression with the harmony of their huge proportions. This building gives a sense of peace and delights the eye, and being at its ancient walls, you understand that no earthly forces can destroy it.
A bit about the history of the temple
Alaverdi, the cathedral, can be found 20 kilometers from the Georgian city of Telavi. It was built at the beginning of the 11th century by the king of Kvirike Kakhi who ruled in those times Kakheti. Then it was the highest design, which struck attention with its beauty and monumentality. Alaverdi - the cathedral, whose height reaches 50 meters - and today it is considered one of the largest temples in Georgia.
The temple was erected on the site on which in the VI century there was a small church of St. George. This church was built by Joseph Alaverdeli, so even now the local population calls the Alaverdi Cathedral the Church of St. George.
Alaverdi is a cathedral that has been destroyed many times by invaders. In the XI century, the first significant restoration work was carried out. They were led by the Kakhetian king Alexander. In 1142, an earthquake occurred, as a result of which the structure was again damaged. Queen Tamara undertook to repair it in 1150. The restoration was completed by the monarch Heraclius II. During the repair, some changes were made to the appearance of the structure, but even today the attraction remains an invaluable historical monument of Georgian medieval architecture.
Cathedral Description
Alaverdi - the monastery and the cathedral - is an architectural ensemble, which is surrounded by the fortress wall. Also this ensemble consists of a medieval refectory, a bell tower with a fence and a summer palace. The main building of the cathedral has a rectangular shape and is a rapidly rising structure with poor decor. This is an incredibly beautiful building, but it looks really chic inside.
The inner room is simply huge. It increases with the height of the dome, which exceeds 42 meters. On the walls of the building, elements of fresco painting dating back to the 11th, 15th, and 17th centuries were preserved.
The history of the name Alaverdi
It is still not completely clear where Alaverdi (Cathedral) took its name from. There are many disputes, conjectures, arguments, and reasoning about this. But no consensus was found. But there are several versions about what exactly the word “Alaverdi” means and where, in general, it came from.
Alaverdi is sometimes translated as "Allah has given." And if we assume that this speculation is considered correct, then it is not clear who decided to call the Christian shrine a word of Turkic origin.
Not everyone knows that in Armenia there is a city, which, like the temple, is called Alaverdi. This settlement was founded just by the Turks.
Quite often, the Alaverdi Cathedral is called Alaverdi. But this is an unacceptable mistake, because Alaverdi is the ancient name of the Armenian city of Alaverdi, which was mentioned above. Also, “Alaverdi” is considered a drinking word, which is often associated with the name of the church. And this is generally unacceptable.
The most convincing version regarding the origin of the name of the cathedral is the following: Alaverdi is a warped Alva-Hardi, meaning "Alvan plain." Well, if you recall that the attraction is located just on the Alvan plain, then everything becomes clear and logical.
Persons buried in Alaverdi
Since Alaverdi (the cathedral, the photo of which is presented above) was the main Christian temple in Kakheti, monarchs were buried in its walls. So, the cathedral became the last refuge for:
- St. Joseph of Alaverdi.
- Great Martyr Ketevan, wife of Tsarevich David. This queen is the main character of some Georgian poems, legends and songs.
- Bishop John of Alaverdi, who was killed in this temple by Lezgins in 1480.
- Kakheti Tsar Alexander I, killed as a result of a conspiracy of his own son George.
- George II Augiorgius, the offspring of the aforementioned king. George II was nicknamed Evil George for having killed his parent and blinded his younger brother.
Other functions of the temple and monastery
We already wrote about where the cathedral is located, but I would also like to mention what other functions this building played. Since the beginning of its existence, Alaverdi has been a monastery, but only for men. Only in the XVII-XVIII centuries did it become a haven for women from the royal families who decided to take tonsure.
Alaverdi was a huge hotbed of manuscript and educational activities. There was a magnificent library in the monastery, for which the nuns themselves copied the documents and manuscripts.