svetitskhoveli cathedral

V3231TEchristopherb

This church no cathedral has placed a vital part in Georgian religious and historical history. Built in the 10 century it played a key and vital role in this part of Georgia. The inside of of the cathedral is truly wonderful. The Cathedral is on the UNESCO world heritage site list and the archeological site is also close by.There a weaving road which has small local shops and stalls which sell a variety of items from wine and Cha Cha tasting to locally knitted bed socks and religious items. There are also coffe shops and restaurants. A local guide is very useful to get a full and complete experience of the history and local flavour of this region of Georgia. Well worth the trek to get there.

OktayE

We had a little time to visit Tbilisi and around. We decided to visit only one church and we chose this one. It's not the biggest or best cathedral which I've seen but it has special importance for Georgians. It's history goes back to 10th century. It had some damage and restorations, one of them was by Alexander the Great. It is surrounded by historic castle walls. There are lots of touristic stores out of the walls. We were there on Sunday during the service. It was nice to see it. Also a group of young priests was chanting.

GZCS

This place is awesome. The tourist office is right outside the church. They mainly are for the Russian tourists but they do speak English too. The church is spectacular. I was wearing shorts but saw sheets that women who wear skirts put on, and I put that on. I got so many stares but who cares.

mohammadrezas802

I visited this Georgian Orthodox cathedral a guided tour to Mtskheta. My visit was on Sunday and I found a chance to see many traditional wedding ceremonies and infant baptisms in this church. According to Wikipedia, Svetitskhoveli, has long been the principal Georgian church and remains one of the most venerated places of worship to this day. It presently functions as the seat of the archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi, who is at the same time Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. This church is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other historical monuments of Mtskheta. In this church you can see many important paintings such as fragments of a 13th-century Beast of the Apocalypse and figures of the Zodiac.

gabcsi_11

I spent some days in Georgia which is a magnificent country. Our accomodation was opposit this amazing cathedral. Everything was unforgettable. Mtskheta is one of the loveliest places in the country. It is very clean, romantic and full of history. The cathedral is surrounded with medieval walls and there is a nicely decorated gate too. Inside you can find objects from very early Christian age, mainly frescoes. Even there is a small stone church inside the big one. The atmosphere is solemn, there are priests praying. You can feel you are travelling back in time. The whole complex is very nicely lit at night. I can recommend this place to everyone in Georgia.

hammsters

This ancient and beautiful orthodox cathedral is really worth a visit! The grounds are lovely, with surrounding mountains and the famous Jvari church in the distance. The icons and frescoes inside the cathedral are breathtaking. It's not just a tourist attraction, but actively used - there were some baptisms happening while we were there. Allow at least an hour or so to wander around the church and the grounds. Women will need to cover their heads and also wear a skirt to enter the church - there are wrap-around skirts in a box near the door that you can wear over your trousers. We visited on a Saturday and there were several wedding parties coming and going while we were there - a treat to see as well! There are restaurants and souvenir shops in the surrounding village.

33DannyS

It's qyute a "must" to visit this site, as part of the heritage of Georgia. It has an interesting story, architecture and art.

jsworld

One of the most beautiful cathedrals in Georgia. The setting is beautiful, with great views of the surrounding mountains, a quaint city around it, and some great restaurants and shops to browse thru on your walk to and from the church. Popular wedding site. Don't miss the very tasty food in the nearby restaurants.

Kashvili

Mtsketha, ancient capital of Georgia has recently been modernised in terms of the houses being rebuild in traditional style with modern material. The Ancient Cathedral however has not been touched - and stands for the very soul of Georgia. Inside t here are magnificent frescos - wall paintings that go back to the llth century and are a total must see. Icons are also in abundance but it is the frescos that really take your breath away. It is large, and like many orthodox churches, there is little space to sit down......allow a good hour if not two for visiting this Church - and opposite on the other side of the River is the Java Monastery, holiest of holy - make sure your tour guide or taxi driver stops off there as well.

RobbyT_13

When in Georgia, be sure to allot at least half a day to see this UNESCO World Heritage site. It was glorious cathedral that shows bits and pieces of history, literally, as the church is a mixture of different parts from different eras. There were friendly tour guides outside the church. I hired one for 10 lari, discounted since I was alone. My guide spoke really good English and she told me a lot about each and every part of the cathedral. The history of the church and every corner of it was truly fascinating and gave me a glimpse of why Georgians are very religious. You can hire a taxi to take you from Tbilisi to Mtshketa in less than 30 minutes.

Bakhsoliani

This monastery is on the unesco world heritage list, in Mtskheta, the former capital and second oldest town in Georgia. Svetitskhoveli is one of the biggest church in Georgia and it has been the religious centre for a long time. It has really interesting history.

BuRaiR

Another beautiful Church in Mtshketa. The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral located I n a very quiet and beautiful area. The Church have very old drawings in the wall and a tomb inside the church seems for one of the big monks. We enjoyed watching a bath for a kid inside the church (Relate to religious believes). As we also enjoyed staying for a couple of nights beside the church area. Great place to visit.

Guzeller

They call it the Life giving Pillar, very sacred and it was just amazing how Georgian couples treasure the history and often choose this Cathedral as the Wedding destination for them, which I have witnessed myself during my visit. It was raining of Brides with their beautiful Wedding dresses as well as different color dress for their own Bridesmaids. It was just unexpected also to see some beggars outside the church but they are not aggressive so don't worry. Please wear your shawl to cover your head when you go inside the church and as much as possible do not wear short skirt and if you happen to wear the short skirt, they will provide you a long cover-up skirt before you enter.

591campbelll

Beautiful cathedral in Mtskheta, 20km from Tbilisi, a quick ride by marshutka. Nice ancient castle ruins about 10 mins walk down the road to wander through.

DinaM358

one of the most impressive Cathedrals in Georgia.... It was amazing the architecture the history. the reverence ...... you cannot but feel humble and bow your head in prayer.of all the cathedrals and churches we visited in Georgia this is by far the most touching.