Religious, Spiritual sights in Tbilisi
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Tsminda Sameba (Holy Trinity) Cathedral
High on Elia Hill above Avlabari rises the biggest symbol of Georgia's post-Soviet religious revival, the Tsminda Sameba (Holy Trinity) Cathedral, (an unmissable landmark by night and day) consecrated in 2004 after a decade of building work. A massive expression of traditional Georgian architectural forms in concrete, brick, granite and marble, it rises 84m to the top of the gold-covered cross above its central dome.
The main entrance to the cathedral's extensive grounds is on Uritski, reached via Meskhishvili up the hill from Ketevan Tsamebulis moedani. The cathedral is five-aisles wide but its emphasis is on verticality, with a result like one single, many-bulwarked tow…
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Anchiskhati Basilica
Shavteli was once the throbbing medieval hub of the Old Town. Here you'll find the Anchiskhati Basilica, the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi, built by King Gorgasali's son Dachi in the 6th century. The name comes from the icon of Anchi Cathedral in Klarjeti (now in Turkey), brought here in the 17th century and now in the Fine Arts Museum.
The church is a three-nave basilica that has been restored several times, most notably in the 17th century, when the brick pillars and upper walls were made. In 1958 restorers found the remains of 17th-century frescoes under the 19th-century ones. Just west of the church is a brick bell tower and gatehouse, typical of late-medieval ea…
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C
Kashveti Church
Opposite School No 1 stands the Kashveti Church, on a spot where it is said pagan rituals used to take place. The first church here is supposed to have been built in the 6th century by Davit Gareja, one of the ascetic 'Syrian fathers' who returned from the Middle East to spread Christianity in Georgia.
According to legend, a nun accused him of impregnating her. He replied that if this were true, she'd give birth to a baby, and if not, to a stone, which duly happened. Kashveti means 'Stone Birth'. The existing 1910 building was designed by architect Leopold Bielfeld as a copy of the 11th-century Samtavisi Church, 60km northwest of Tbilisi.
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Sioni Cathedral
The cathedral was originally built in the 6th and 7th centuries, but it has been destroyed and rebuilt so many times that it is difficult to say which part comes from when, although the south portico is undeniably the work of a shabby 1990s contractor. What you see is mainly 13th-century, though the southern chapel was built and the cupola restored in 1657. The most important sacred object here is the cross of St Nino which, according to legend, is made from vine branches bound with the saint’s own hair. A replica of this is displayed to the left of the altar, with the real thing kept safe inside.
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E
Armenian Cathedral of St George
Just above Gorgasalis moedani is the large Armenian Cathedral of St George, founded in 1251 (although the current structure dates mainly from the 18th century). Its interior is surprisingly small but it has interesting frescoes. King Erekle II’s Armenian court poet Sayat Nova was killed here during the Persian invasion of 1795 and his tomb is in front of the main door.
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Mosque
A short distance uphill behind the baths is the mosque, built in 1895 and the only mosque in Tbilisi that survived Lavrenty Beria’s antireligious purges of the 1930s. Unusually, Shiite and Sunni Muslims pray together here. The interior is prettily frescoed and visitors are welcome to enter (after removing shoes).
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Jvaris Mama Church
The Jvaris Mama Church has been a church since the 5th century. The current structure dates from the 16th century; its frescoes were recently restored in striking reds and blues, and the atmosphere is exquisitely pious and calm.
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Echmiadzin Cathedral
Historically the Avlabari area housed Tbilisi's large Armenian population, one that has traditionally been focused around the Echmiadzin Cathedral, which is currently closed for restoration.
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Mamadaviti Church
At the halfway stop on the funicular up to Mount Mtatsminda is the Mamadaviti Church, an 1850s construction on the site of a hermitage of St Davit Gareja.
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Norasheni Church
Next door to the Jvaris Mama Church is the disused Armenian Norasheni Church, dating from 1793.
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Synagogue
Tbilisi’s main synagogue is a very welcoming place built in 1904.
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