To label someplace as the spiritual heart of Georgia is really making a statement – it seems that every village, town, city and region has its own spiritual center with an associated legend, martyr or relic.
With that said, Mtskheta is the spiritual heart of Georgia.
Located at the strategic and symbolic intersection of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, Mtskheta served as the capital from 3rd century BC to 5th century AD, when King Vakhtang Gorgasali moved the capital to Tbilisi. Although the significance of Mtskheta was amplified from about 327 AD onwards (when Christianity was established in eastern Georgia by St. Nino), the hills in and around Mtskheta are full of pre-Christian sites, including excavated baths, temples and wine cellars overlooking the rivers. This has always been, and always will be, a place of great significance.
Time Needed
At least a ½ day, or more if you’re really into the history and spiritual significance of this site.
Distance from Tbilisi
20-30 minutes
Reason to Go
Mtskheta is a must-see if you’re interested in the spiritual heart and history of Georgia as a Christian nation (it served as the capital before Tbilisi). The beans are great, too.
Regional Combinations
A fantastic day trip from Tbilisi (with an early start) can combine Mtsketa with Stalin’s hometown of Gori, the pre-Christianity cave complex in Uplistsikhe, and still leave enough time for dinner and a show back in Tbilisi.
Alternatively, you can make a stop in Mtskheta on your way to/from Kazbegi, as you’ll pass it on the way.
When approaching Mtskheta, the first thing you’ll notice is the beautiful Jvari Church located atop a prominent hill just outside the town. The church stands on the spot where King Mirian placed a cross to commemorate his conversion to Christianity by St Nino in the 4th century.
Local legend claims that King Mirian, after becoming blind from a hunting injury, was able to restore his eyesight through prayers with St. Nino to the Christian God, resulting in a mass baptism and conversion of the Mtskheta population in the Aragvi River and the establishment of Christianity in Eastern Georgia from 327 onwards.
The church, built in the late 6th century, now stands on the very same site. While the interior is simple (yet dignified), the views of the converging Aragvi and Mtkvari Rivers below are stunning.
A round-trip taxi (with wait time) will cost around 30 lari, though you can also access a trail to the church from Teatron Park in Mtskheta (~1 hour one way).
The interior is simple yet moving given the significance of the site.
And the views from the outside of Jvari Church are stunning, particularly on a clear day.
If you look closely, you can see the sediment-filled water of the Mtkvari meeting the clear mountain water (snow melt) of the Aragvi.
The second most iconic church in Mtskheta is the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Known as a striking example of 11th century “golden age” Georgian architecture, the cathedral was enormous for its time and provided a proper home for its most prized relic: Christ’s robe. Like many legends in Georgia, the stories of how Christ’s robe arrived in Mtskheta are long, complicated, and sometimes contradictory. However, the basics are as follows:
- A Jew from Mtskheta witnessed the crucifixion, returned home with the robe, and gave it to his sister.
- She soon passed away and was buried with the robe, but locals eventually forgot where she, and the robe, were buried.
- After the establishment of Christianity on/around 327 AD, workers were unable to complete the construction of the first church – the central weight-bearing wooden column was too heavy to raise.
- After an all night prayer vigil with St Nino, the column moved itself to the burial site of the long-lost sister (and the robe), stood itself upright, and enabled the completion of the church.
- Many miracles soon followed – Svetitiskhoveli actually means “Life Giving Column” in Kartuli (Georgian).
The current structure/cathedral dates from the 11th century, and you can now identify the purported location of the robe beneath a small, tower-like structure located in the nave (see below).
While the cathedral is open all day, it is highly recommended to get there first thing in the morning, as in right after the gates are opened. Not only will this increase your chances of having the nave to yourself, but the lack of crowds in general will exponentially enhance your appreciation of the space.
The cathedral is a stunning example of Georgian religious architecture, both inside and out.
By arriving first thing in the morning, you could very well have the cathedral to yourself for a few sublime minutes.
The apparent location of Christ’s robe is marked by this tower-like structure in the nave.
Samtavro Church, the third notable place of worship in Mtskheta, dates from the same time period (11th and 12th century) and served as the church for local lords. It now serves as part of a nunnery. The day we visited, we were stopped in our tracks by local nuns singing traditional Georgian polyphonic melodies – authentic cultural experiences are around every other corner in Georgia (at least for now.)
The bursting colors of the rose bushes ringing the church provide a nice contrast to the bleak stone.
Just outside the Samtavro Church sits a small church, Tsminda Nino, which was built upon a site where St. Nino was said to have prayed.
It is easy to forget that pre-Christian sites even exist in a country like Georgia – religion, and religious history, is so strong that it is hard to imagine life before St. Nino made her pilgrimage from Cappadocia.
Nevertheless, a visit to one of the many pre-Christian sites in/around Mtskheta are well worth your time. The excavated residence of Iverian (eastern Georgian) kings at Armaztsikhe-Bagineti is particularly interesting and well-marked (relatively, at least). Don’t expect a massive visitor center or walkway anytime soon – just head to the south side of the Mtkvari river, follow the road a bit and you’ll see brown signs marking the turnoff/parking area in the grass (this could have changed recently, though).
If you have the site to yourself (and it is very likely that you will), it is hard to argue with their site selection looking over the river and hills.
And lastly, no visit to Mtskheta is complete without a taste of Mtskheta beans. Served perfectly warm in a traditional clay pot with a delicious, soup-like broth, they “fill the gaps” in any meal, especially when served with Mchadi, or Georgian cornbread.
A nice, light meal of Georgian cornbread, Georgian salad (tomato, cucumber, dill and sunflower oil) and Mtskheta beans can round out any visit to Mtskheta.
As mentioned earlier, a trip to Mtskheta from Tbilisi can easily be combined with a visit to Gori and the famed Stalin Museum as well as the stunning, pre-Christian cave city at Uplistsikhe. With an early start out of Tbilisi, not only can you explore Mtskheta and the churches in peace, but you’ll have more than enough time to properly visit the Stalin Museum in Gori and scramble freely within the Uplistsikhe caves. In our case, we even made it back to Tbilisi in time for dinner and a show at the Marionette Theatre. Talk about a well-rounded day in Georgia!