Jvari Church

Jvari Monastery is a sixth century Georgian Orthodox monastery near Mtskheta, eastern Georgia. it is listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Jvari Monastery is located on the rocky hilltop at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, overlooking the town of Mtskheta, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Iberia before Tbilisi. Shortly after the adoption of Christianity, King Mirian III erected an enormous wooden cross on this site Isymbolizing the acceptance of Christianity by Georgians. In the 2nd half of the VI century Guaram, the ruler of Kartli, built a small church beside the Holy Cross.The temple attracts thousands of tourists because of its architecture, location and historical value.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

The Svetitskhoveli cathedral is the eastern orthodox Christian church located in the former capital of Mtskheta. A masterpiece of the Early Middle Ages, Svetitskhoveli is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is currently the second largest church building in Georgia, after the Holy Trinity Cathedral. 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”. The present structure was completed in 1029 by the medieval Georgian architect Arsukisdze.