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Georgia

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral located in the historic town of Mtskheta, Georgia, to the northwest of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. A masterpiece of the Early Middle Ages, Svetitskhoveli is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is currently the second largest church building in Georgia, after the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

The architecture of the present Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, which dates from around 1020, is based on the cross-dome style of church architecture, which emerged in Georgia in the early Middle Ages.

The walls are decorated with many Christian Orthodox icons, most of which are not original (the originals being in the national museums of Georgia

Svetitskhoveli was not only the site of the coronation of the Georgian kings but also served as their burial place. Ten are known to have been buried here, although only six tombs have been found, all before the altar.

The large figure of Jesus at the altar was painted by Russian artist in the 19th century. The majority of the icons here date to the 20th century. Some are copies of older icons and frescoes from other churches throughout Georgia.

View of the gardens

We are very close to the Russian border. There are many tourists from Russia.

This morning we traveled along the Georgian Military Highway, a historical road leading north from Tbilisi into Russia. You are never quite sure what you will run into along this highway.

Sheep herders bringing the sheep down from the mountains after a summer of grazing. walking on the highway.

Ananuri Fortress is located 40 miles away from Tbilisi, near the town of Ananuri. The exact date of its construction is unknown.

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