Mtskheta- Jvari Church

A pity about the power cables!

Jvari (Monastery of the Holy Cross VI century) is one of the most outstanding monuments of medieval Georgia, located on Mount Armazi at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, overlooking the ancient town of Mtskheta. View from the top is simply mesmerizing.It is said that, there was a pagan temple on the site of the monastery. After the adoption of Christianity in Georgia in the early IV century, here, at the peak of the mountain, Saint Nino erected a large wooden cross, destroying pagan temple symbolizing the baptism of Georgia. According to legend, the the cross was reportedly able to work miracles and therefore drew pilgrims from all over the Caucasus, attracting pilgrims from all over the Caucasus, A small church was erected over the remnants of the wooden cross in named the “Small Church of Jvari”. The present building, or “Great Church of Jvari”, is generally held to have been built later. It is known that the churches throughout Georgia were repeatedly destroyed during the invasions, but Jvari came to us almost untouched.

Jvari temple is one of the most remarkable achievements of the ancient Georgian architecture, and without exaggeration, the most popular monument of Georgia, perceived as an immortal symbol of the national genius. Since 1994 Jvari is a World Heritage Site.