One day private tour in Mtskheta from Tbilisi

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Jvari Church, Mtskheta Georgia

Jvari monastic temple is the most ancient cult monument constructed in the beginning of Georgian Christianity in the 6th century (585- 604). The name Jvari means “cross” in Georgian language. It explains the ancient legend which says that it was there that St. Nino of Kappadokia put the Sacred Cross symbolizing the acceptance of Christianity by Georgia. Later over the cross the Temple of the Sacred Cross was built. It is worth mentioning that Small Jvari temple was built first (lying in ruins next to the main temple), and Big Jvari was erected afterwards for the purpose of preservation of the Sacred Cross relic. According to the ancient records the Cross was open to be seen from afar and was the object of worship until the 6 th century.

Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Arsukidze, Mtskheta 383400 Georgia

Not far from Jvari there is another cult monument of Christian Georgia – one of the major Orthodox Georgian temples – Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

It was built in the 11 th century (1010-1029) on the site of the Twelve Apostles Church, the first Christian Georgian church erected in the 4 th century. 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”. One of the greatest religious holidays of Georgia is Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba is dedicated to the Life-Giving Pillar and the Tunic of the God. It is marked two times a year (on July13th and October 14th).

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Samtavro Church, Davit Aghmashenebelis qucha, Mtskheta 383400 Georgia

n Mtskheta there is an active Samtavro convent Самтавро (the 11 th century) in which the ruler Mirian and his wife Nana, the first to accept Christianity from St. Nino in 337, are buried.

The convent was constructed in 1820 instead of a small ancient wooden church of the 4 th century erected by the king Mirian. Its dome and some of the parts were reconstructed after the earthquake in the 13 th – 14 th centuries with addition of the sanctuary screen. The three-storied bell tower was built in the 15 th – 16 th centuries. The frescos there are dated the 16 th – the 17 th centuries. In the 17 th century the convent was renovated for the last time.

In the church yard there is the grave of St. Gabriel; one of the most esteemed Georgian saints. This place is always full of pilgrims and worshippers of the saint. In 1906 the monument to the king Mirian and queen Nana was built in the convent.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Shio-Mgvime Monastery, Mtskheta Georgia

10 km to the west from Mtskheta in the village of Dzegvi there is an active operating Shio-Mgvime monastery (Simeon Mgvimsky, the 6 th century). The monastery is literally merged with the sandy coloring of the hillsides. But as soon as you distinguish its outlines you understand that how ancient this monument is.

Especially it concerns the monastic church constructed in the 6 th century. Outwardly it is a low structure with allegedly two-level dome topped with a peaked tetrahedral roof. It is a very original monument with no known analogs in entire Georgia. The numerous cells dug by monks in the caves of the nearby mountains are very interesting as well.

Duration: 1 hour