Religious sites in Georgia are very diverse. Due to the country’s religious and cultural diversity, you can find religious sites and places of many religions. Of course, churches are most often mentioned because Georgia is an old Orthodox country, but that is not all, and in Georgia you can find both synagogues and mosques or old pagan places of worship from pre-Christian times.
These places of worship and religious sites are now used for both religious purposes and as cultural monuments and tourist destinations. Many of them are wonderful examples of Georgian architecture and art and are important landmarks in the country. It is therefore not surprising that so-called ‘pilgrimages’ are offered in Georgia, organised by various travel agencies.
Below you will find various religious sites in Georgia, located on or outside the country’s territory. We have divided them into four parts. These are:
Churches, monasteries and cathedrals
As a Christian country, Georgia is rich in churches, monasteries and cathedrals. Many of them are over a thousand years old and still stand today, telling of a great cultural past. Undoubtedly, the unique ecclesiastical paintings in Georgia are worth seeing. Here you will find information not only about Orthodox, but also Catholic and Armenian churches.
Mosques
There are still many Muslims living in Georgia today. We can divide this group into two parts – Muslims who are ethnic Georgians and Muslims who are ethnic Azerbeidzhanis or Chechens. The Georgian Muslims live in the Ajarian region, where there are incredibly beautiful old mosques made of wood with beautiful decorations and colours, some of which are even part of the country’s cultural heritage. The Azerbaijanis and Chechens live mainly in Marneuli and in Kakheti in the Pankisi Valley.
Synagogues
There is talk of a 2400-year-old friendship between Georgians and Jews. From ancient Georgian manuscripts, it appears that the first Jews came to Georgia in the 6th century BC and have lived in the territory of Georgia since that time. They brought their own culture and religion with them and developed them here. They were never persecuted and founded their own synagogues in various cities in the country. Many of them still exist today and are very popular.
Others
On the territory of the country, there are several ancient pagan places of worship that have now been destroyed, but you can still see them today, such as the temple of the sun in Tbilisi – Ateshga, a temple in Uplistsiche or in Kakheti.
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