Taking a walk through the capital of Georgia, you can not ignore the Old City. It is there, on the right-bank part, that you will see a grayish massif on a rock, which seems to be about to fall directly into the river. Metekhi Temple is located here - a landmark of Tbilisi, recognized as a real symbol of the ancient city.
The difficult fate of the Orthodox Church
Tbilisi is an ancient city that has survived many blows of fate. This fate did not pass over the temple. In ancient times, next to it was a magnificent palace of the kings, surrounded by many buildings and strong walls.
Such a neighborhood only emphasized the greatness of the temple. But in 1255, the Tatar-Mongol army attacked Georgia, wiped out the palace complex and severely damaged the church itself. A couple of centuries later, the structure was captured by the Turks, and then the Persians. The Metekhi Temple in Tbilisi came to us only thanks to the perseverance and love of the Georgian rulers. Each king considered it his holy duty to revive this ancient building.
The building, which appears before our eyes today, was rebuilt in the XIII century, and the dome was erected in the XVIII. The Metekhi temple was also awaiting change during the time Georgia entered the Russian Empire. Then a prison was organized in the building. Only in the Soviet years, the miracle of architecture was freed from such a fate. During the reign of Stalin, Beria planned to raze the church to the ground. The artist Dmitry Shevardnadze at the end of the 30s of the XX century resolutely opposed this order, for which, of course, he paid with his life. Not afraid of being shot, this hero saved the ancient building, the symbol of Tbilisi. For parishioners, the church opened its doors only in 1988.
Why is the church so named?
Researchers believe that since the Metekhi temple was originally erected at the palace complex, its name comes from there. Indeed, in translation from Greek, “palace” sounds like “metohija”. No one knows why this place in documents was originally called in the form of the plural ("metekhni", "metekhta"). According to researchers, this word was first used by King Demeter I, but perhaps he had in mind the village of Metekhi.
The name of the church in the modern version is known and used, starting from the XVIII century.
Queen Shushanik as one of the symbols of the Metekhi temple
The temple houses the icon of the Great Martyr Queen Shushanik. Any parishioner who knows the history of this woman prays before her face and asks to fulfill her desire. Shushanik lived during the reign of King Vakhtang I Gorgosal and was the wife of the ruler of the southern part of Kartli Vasken. During one of his military campaigns, he renounced the faith and adopted Zoroastrianism. The governor publicly abandoned his first wife and married the daughter of the Shah, promising that his former family would follow his example.
Having heard about the thoughts of the unfaithful husband, Shushanik did not go out of her cell and prayed for herself and the children. At the feast that she had to visit after persuading her relatives, Vasken forces his wife to accept the new faith, but she refuses. Then the ruler beats the woman and throws him in prison at the palace. Christian priests took care of her. When Vasken returns from the next military campaign even more embittered, Shushanik grabs, drags her with a drag along the thorns and throws him into prison forever.
For six long years, the former queen spent in prison and prayed incessantly for the people who came to her. It is believed that through her prayers people received the fulfillment of their desires. In 475, Queen Shushanik falls ill and dies. The relics of the great martyr were buried near the Metekhi church.
Interiors of a Christian Shrine
The official name of the Orthodox Cathedral is the church in the name of the Assumption of the Virgin. The interior of the temple has changed significantly over the long centuries of its existence. Formerly circular arches became lancet. This is the merit of the restoration of the XVIII century. Many frescoes were not preserved, so the walls of the building for the most part are simply gray. But here are kept holy icons, dear to the parishioners. One of them is called "100,000 Metekhi Martyrs" and hangs on the temple wall from the south.
The icon depicting the face of St. Abo, painted in oil, is so black from time to time that it is difficult to distinguish the image on it. Be sure to pay attention to the portico of the church. This is a complex building made of stone, which has survived to our times unchanged. Even patterns in the form of a vine, popular in the 13th century, are preserved here. Metekhi Temple, the only one in Tbilisi, is the keeper of this kind of carving. It is impossible to be a guest of the capital of Georgia and not visit a Christian shrine.
Where is the Metekhi Temple in Tbilisi located?
The church is located in the Old Town on the banks of the Kura River, near the bridge of the same name. Address: Metekhi lift, 1. This area is a very attractive place for walking, here you can see a lot of interesting things.
Getting here is easy. There are two ways to do this:
- By metro, reaching the Avlabari station.
- By bus, ride to the stop "European Square". The following routes run here: 31, 44, 50, 55, 71, 80, 102.
If you travel by car, getting to the place will be even easier. The church is open to visitors from 9 to 16 hours. Entrance to the Metekhi temple is free, but donations are not prohibited.
Tourists visiting Georgia for the first time should definitely visit this marvelous church, because it is the hallmark of the city.