Mtskheta

A part of historicai greater Mtskheta. ArmaZtsikhe is the orignal

For the time ceing it ćs almost totairy flooded. The bridge name refers to me Roman military leader, Gneus Pompeus, who has irwaded iberia in the 65 Century, A.O. The bridge l>owever had been

WELCOME TO WTSKMEI*

Mtskheta. is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. it has been inhabited sińce before 1,000 EC and was once the capita* of the eerly kingdom of rceria, (toda/s Eastern Georga), just 20 km from toda/s capiał Tbilisi, and Situateo at the confluence of me Mtkvari ano Aragvi rivers, the c*y is located on an ancient trade route. Archaeologists have unearthed e. idence of Mtskheta’5 status as a mBjcr trading post Głass perfUme bottles, Greek and Aramaic whtings. pottery, metałwork and jewełsery are ail found in abundance beneath the ground here, and many etamples are on show in the town*s f.ne Museum.

The ancient geographer Strabo, descr.bed Mtskheta as a higmy oeveloped City with a water suppsy system, markets ano stone hoUses. Mtsknete nas ałso tne religoUs oentre of the country, wsth a nUmser of major shrines to Georgia’s pag&n pantheon, these wouid later be replaced by churches When St. Nino conuerted the country to Christianrty in aroUnd 320 AD. AJthough the capit*. was mo\ed to the morę easify defended Tttósi at the cegnning of the 6th century, Mtskheta continUed to ce the corcnation and bUrial p^ace of Georgen kings, and the seat of the Patriarch, wno is also known as the Bishop of Mtskheta. Today, the lovety old town h8S a la id b8Ck. viUage feeł. espec&ay after the morę hectic pace of TtJiliSć

Nowhere eise in Georgia can you Tina such diverse cuftUra) and arcn.tecturai gems as in MtsKheta-MtianetL The best etamples of this dfrersity can be seen in the ancient regon of ArmaZtsikhe - (Bagineti), the lOth century fortitlea vaage of Shatiii, tf»e Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the Ananuri oompłex. And if yotrre after an unforgettable ach-enture these UNESCO heritage stes are not to be missecr Mtskheta, Svetitskhoveli and Jvari, the fortifed villages in KhevsUret. tl>e ancient monastery of Gergeti Samebe |over 2^0001 above sea -evei) and not to mention the medieual fresooes in .Ananuri Monastery.

The museUm-reserve encompasses severai different stes from the 4th century BC to the 12tfi century ADl the Royal res-dence ArmaZtsikhe. the Royal crypt, me resiftsnce of Pitiakhshes in Artna2skhevi, and the ancient burai grounds of Semtavro. The museum houses an impressive collection of the various arcnaeaogicai disco\-er*sfrom the sites.

Located in MtsMheia, Svetitskhove Cathedral Xlc.has been the burai site for Georgan kings and is buift on me site where »t is said that the shirt of Jesus was buried. m 326 ad, wtien Georga announced Chhsfcanity 8S te oftlcial rehgon, the ftrst Christian K-ng Mirian was advised by St Nino, to buad a church here, over ttie gsve Where Chrisrs shirt was buried (having been brougit back to Georga by a >ccai man. bought off of a Roman soidier at Go gotna). A Lebanese cedar tree goW«ng on the grave Was cut down and Used to make seven piiiars to bUHd the church. Howe*«er, tr»e seventh and biggest p-zar had magcal propertes which mean it hung in the air unsupported, until St. Nino prayed for it to return to earth. This piliar was sad to have iUuminated light and r8diated a ioveły fragrance and even a magcal lkjuid which couid cure many cfcseases. The p.łlar was calied -Sveti T5khovełx^f - a fife-gMng piliar - wtiich later became tne name ałso gven to me Cathedral.

.An ieon portraymg this event can oe seen on the seoond column on me right-hend from the entrahee.

Jvari is one of me masterpieces of Georgan architecture and is now listed as one of me World Heritage sites by UNESCO, it was DUilt on a hai neer Mtskheta overkx>king the estuary of two rtvers, the Mtkvarl and Aragft. Howeverthe or^gns- structure was much smaller. After con^erting to Christianity, łOng Mirian erected a tai Wooden cross on me hili, which was \enerated oy vahous Christian nstions. Later 8 smaller church Was bUilt beside the church and is now referred to as me sma* Cross. However, the church Was too smali to hoid ail me Yisitors and in cetween 5B8 and 005 ad me larger Jvari cathedral was buift o.er me wx>cden cross. The pedestai of the o<d cross has been preserved. Arthougi mere are many recgjous bi^d;ngs in and outside Georga with similar arcrwtecture you Wbnt flnd ar.y that are ower and morę complete than Mtskheta Cross.

Sh»omgivime Monastery CompleT. one of the most prominent rełgous and cuflUral oenters in feudal Georga is iccateo in me Mtskheta dstret, on tlie left bank of the Mtkvari. Aocording to hrstorical sources, t?»e monastery was founded by Shio - a student of AssyTian Father łoane of ZedaZeni sn me 6th century. TTadition has «that Father Shio spent his last years in a dark, deep grotto and asked in his will to be buried here. His grave is conside^ed a sacred pace

One of ttie odest p^ces of Gecrgian architecture, ZedaZeni Monastery £ stuated on the left bank of me Aragvi, North-East from Mtskheta. It Was founded by Assyrian Father loane around 540 AD. With tne Southern nave cons^stng of two parts. the ZedaZeni Monastery has been repaired and restored many times, right Up until 197L captal of the earty Georgan Kiedom of iber^a. Once a thriy.hg citł^arcłiaeologcai evidence shows that ancient ArmaZtsikhe was far morę extensive Uran it is today. Given 4s strategie importance,located nett to the Daryal pass.it has been inhabited sińce at eest the 4 m century BC. The ArmaZi Castie, ancient Mtskheta inside Fortitlcation (Acropołis), me residence of the Kartu (iceria), so calied! Strabon, Pimis, Ptołemaios and Den Kssions.As a result of exca\*ations ,three cfistinctiy diverse ctfture ievełs r»9ve been discovered.

Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta is dominated by me 11 th century cross- domea Episcopa) Church,bun on a site Where alarge pagan tempie .Tt^e fased are adorned wim splendd omaments. The church conmtains the bUrial sites of the flrst Georgan Christian King Mirian and his Wrfe, Queen Nana The Samta^ro Vaiey has been inhabited sińce the 4 th century BC and Saint Nino,Wf»o ccnvened Georga to ChristianAy ,chose this kxation as her preferred pray^er site The tiny church of St Niho dates from the 4 m century.

This nkghty fortress was bu it on the River Aragvi marr)' centuries ago. It has been me scene of many betu es and was the envy of the ibehan Kingdom.

Georgia

bu3t before Pompeus actuaily ca me.

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