Jvari Monastery | ჯვარი

Jvari Monastery, in English – the Cross Monastery, a temple and monastery complex from the 6th century. It is located to the east of Mtskheta, at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, on top of a rocky mountain and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Jvari is an active monastery and not far from the church, the monks who belong to the church live.

If you know the history of the monastery, you will understand why it is called that: in the 30s of the 4th century, in the first years of the adoption of Christianity, King Mirian III erected a wooden cross on this site, where a pagan statue of the god of war once stood, as a sign of the new religion. This cross was later venerated not only by Georgians, but by Christians from all over the Caucasus .

In the second half of the 6th century (545-586), the ruler of Kartli-Guaram had a small chapel built north of the cross. At the end of the 6thcentury (586/587-604/605), Guaram’s son Stephanoz I, together with his brothers Demetrius and Adarnase (604/605-634/635) and other relatives, had a large temple built next to the small one, which covered the wooden cross (the base of the cross is still in the church). The monastery still stands proudly on the mountain.

The Jvari Monastery has a dome made of light yellow and dark wine-coloured stone. The seams between the stones are the same everywhere. The cathedral is built on a mountain. It is built on a smooth, rectangular square and has a two-tiered base. To the west, it rests on an artificially reinforced vertical rock.

The entrance to the monastery is from the south and north. A relief cross is depicted in the hemisphere of the dome, which has both an artistic and a constructive purpose. The space under the dome has apses on all four sides, forming a cross in plan. Between the arms of the cross, there is an arch in each corner, cut into each niche.
The room can be accessed through the sacristy and the deacon’s room. The south-western room is a women’s room.

Structures of this type are only known in Georgia and Armenia. The patterns in Armenia and Georgia are different.

Jvari Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited attractions in the country. Since it is not far from Tbilisi, it is also a popular excursion destination for the city’s residents. They often come here not only to admire this beautiful structure, but also to enjoy the beautiful landscape, surroundings and views. It is particularly beautiful at sunset.

It takes 20-30 minutes to reach the church from Tbilisi by car. Most tourists visit the church when they are on their way to Western Georgia or Stepantsminda and leave Tbilisi around 9 or 10 am. Therefore, the church has the most visitors between 10 am and 1 pm. So if you want to visit the church when there are fewer people, you should do it from the afternoon onwards. Admission is free.At the weekend, you will see many couples who are getting married in the church, which is very beautiful to see.

Tours like  round trip in Georgia, photo trip in Georgia, these beautiful sights are also on the programme.