Georgia, Mtskheta: sights, nature, monuments of architecture

What do you need to know for an independent traveler traveling to such a picturesque country as Georgia? Mtskheta, whose attractions will be described in this article, is a mandatory item on the route. After all, this city is the first capital of the country. And despite the fact that the title passed to Tbilisi, Mtskheta remains the heart of Georgia, its cultural and historical center. It is enough to stroll through the ancient streets of the city to notice the traces of the former greatness. Mtskheta is more than two thousand years old. And the Georgian government invests a lot of money in the city to attract tourists to this ancient landmark. All historical monuments here are restored. But besides tourists, there are many pilgrims on the streets of Mtskheta. It is from this city that the evangelization of Georgia began. And it happened in the three hundred and twenty-seventh year of our era. What you should see in Mtskheta - you will learn from this article.

How to get there

First of all, you need to get to the modern capital of Georgia, Tbilisi. From Russia there are direct scheduled flights. They are offered by such carriers as S7 and Georgian Airlines. Travel time is two and a half hours. The cost of the flight can be cheap if you fly connecting flights: with a transfer in Warsaw (LOT), Riga ("Ear Baltic"), Istanbul ("Turkish Airlines") or Kiev. If you come to Georgia by car, then a trip from Tbilisi to Mtskheta will take about a quarter of an hour. After all, the ancient and modern capitals are divided only twenty kilometers. One can even say that Mtskheta has already become a remote outskirts of Tbilisi. Naturally, there is a bus service between the two cities. To get to Mtskheta, you need to come to the Tbilisi metro station "Didube". After leaving the subway, you should again dive into the underground passage leading to the spontaneous market. After passing the vegetable rows, you get to the same impromptu bus station. On its territory there is a box-office. It is necessary to pay one lari for the ticket there - the driver does not take money. Convenient minibuses depart every fifteen minutes.

Climate and nature of Mtskheta

In addition to numerous historical and religious sites, the ancient capital of Georgia is characterized by its picturesque nature. The city stands in the place where Aragvi flows into the Kuru. This river is described by Lermontov in the poem "Mtsyri". But about this - later. The climate in Mtskheta is very mild. Winter here is dry and not very cold (as opposed to more mountainous areas). The temperature in January is on average two degrees with the plus mark. And in the summer it's not too hot. In July and August, the air warms up to a quite comfortable twenty-five degrees. The best time for a trip to Mtskheta is experienced tourists and the locals call the period from March to mid-November. The city is surrounded on all sides by low mountains, on the tops of which there are ancient monasteries and fortresses.

History of Mtskheta

The first mention of the city in the annals refers to the second half of the first millennium BC, when it became the capital of the ancient state of Iberia. But the legends significantly increase the age of Mtskheta. According to legend, it was founded by the son of King Kartli. His name was Mtskhotos - he gave the name to the settlement. And from Kartli, the whole nation, who later founded the state under the name "Cartweli" (Georgia), took place. Mtskheta, whose sights indicate the glorious past of the country, was a tasty morsel in the eyes of warlike neighbors from antiquity to the twenty-first century. The city was tried to capture the Greeks, Persians, Romans, Turks and many others. Almost a thousand years Mtskheta was the capital of a proud country, until King Vakhtang Gorgasali, who ruled in the fifth century, built Tbilisi and moved his residence there. But even then the city did not come to desolation. Mtskheta remained the religious capital. After all, there was the throne of the Catholicos, the head of the Christian church in Georgia.

Georgia, Mtskheta: attractions (short review)

This city is called the Second Jerusalem. And for Georgians this is a real religious relic. After all, it was in Mtskheta that Christian Nino came with the good news of the Gospel. In addition, the main temple of the city still holds one of the most revered relics - the chiton of Jesus Christ, which under Kalvarii was shared among the Roman legionaries. The glory of the Second Jerusalem and the residence of the Catholicos caused the appearance of numerous monasteries, which settled down on the surrounding hills. Such a cluster of historical and religious sites can not be found anywhere else in Georgia. Therefore, the entire city of Mtskheta was taken under the protection of UNESCO and entered on its list as a world heritage of mankind. Obligatory to visit are the monasteries of Samtavro and Jvari, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Bebriscihe Fortress. About thirty lari costs an organized bus tour with a guide from Tbilisi.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. The history of the temple

It is the oldest Christian church in Georgia. True, the building, which you can admire today, was built in the eleventh century. But according to legend, in the fourth century there was a small church here. With its appearance, a beautiful legend is connected. A certain girl Sidonia, after accepting Christianity, begged her brothers to bring from Jerusalem something that belonged to Jesus Christ Himself. They heeded her pleas and returned home with a chiton that was cut off from the Savior before His crucifixion. As soon as Sidonia touched her clothes, she let out her spirit. So it was buried, because the tunic could not be extracted from the fingers of a dead girl. Above her grave was built the first church. This is a unique place, which Georgia is rightly proud of. Mtskheta, whose attractions are numerous, is still famous as a place of storage of this Christian relic. Therefore, crowds of pilgrims flock to the city.

The legend of the creation of the cathedral

When the small church was destroyed during the next war, a huge cedar grew on the grave of Sidonia. The first Christian king of Georgia Mirian ordered to build a church dedicated to the twelve apostles. Of the felled cedar, seven columns were cut out, which were to support the arch. Six of them were installed at the edges. But the seventh pillar hung in the air. Then the saintly Nino began to pray, and as a result of this the column got in place and mended. Therefore, the temple is called Svetitskhoveli - "The Life-Creating Pillar". After all, a precious miracle cured patients who came to the church for healing. This, of course, is a beautiful legend. The temple was built by the architect Arsukisdze. All excursions in Georgia, visiting the cathedral, tell us that the teacher of the architect envied his skill, slandered the master, as a result of which they cut off his hand. Guides show the relief on the northern facade. He depicts a hand holding a square. But a unique fresco with a flying saucer and looking out of the porthole face you need to find yourself. It is in the painting of the central miraculous pillar. In the script of the temple Georgian kings - Irakly II, Gorgasali, George XII and others are buried. In the cathedral there are ceremonies of enthronement of the new Catholicos.

Samtavro Monastery

The monastery is located within the city of Mtskheta. The monastery was built by King Mirian in the place of a non-preserved wooden church. The monastery was repeatedly destroyed and restored again. Under George I (the first half of the 11th century) the monastery took its present form, although some parts and a dome were created later, after earthquakes of the 13th-14th centuries. In addition, the period includes the altar gate. Frescoes of XVI-XVII centuries are preserved. The operating Samtavro Convent keeps a piece of the myrrh-streaming pillar, miraculous icons of the Iberian Mother of God and Saint Nina, and other relics. The temple became the resting place of the first Christian king Mirian and his wife Nana. Also there is buried the revered Georgian saint - the elder Gabriel.

Jvari Monastery

This is another shrine, which Mtskheta is famous for. Jvari is located outside the city on a high hill. Escaping there, especially with children, it is worth taking a taxi - climbing the mountain is quite heavy. For twenty lari the driver will drive you to the observation platform, wait as long as you want and return to the city. It was about Jvari that Lermontov wrote in Mtsyri. At the foot of the cliff, Aragvi-river "intertwines in sister embraces" with Kura. The name Jvari is translated from Georgian as "Cross". And the name was given to the monastery not by chance. On this rock, Saint Nino raised a cross in honor of Georgia's acceptance of Christianity. And the church itself was built in the sixth century.

Fortress of Bebrisciche

If you came to Georgia by car, be sure to visit this monument of antiquity. And if not - do not be stingy in a taxi. This attraction of Mtskheta is located on its northern outskirts - also on the top of a hill. Looking at these picturesque romantic ruins, it's hard to believe that once the castle of Bebrisciche successfully defended the city from the invasion of enemies. The citadel is very small in appearance. Most likely, she had a small garrison. Perhaps, the fortress was impregnable due to its location and not surviving to our days additional fortifications. In the chronicles, the citadel of Bebrisciche was mentioned since 1156. In its walls the Georgian king Demetre the First was lost. Unfortunately, in 2010 this attraction was seriously damaged by a landslide.

Monastery of Shio-Mgvime

This monastery, along with Svetitskhoveli and Jvari, is considered a sacred place of Georgia. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the monastery is invisible, although it does not hide. Just its buildings are so merged with the yellowish coloration of the rocky ledges, which are manifested only when the traveler approaches the monastery for a short distance. Many excursions in Georgia come to this oldest sacred complex in Mtskheta. The monastery received its name from Simeon Mgvimsky, who built the church here in the sixth century. It is preserved almost in its original form. The low construction with a two-tier dome, which is crowned by a turret with a pointed roof, has no analogues not only in Georgia, but in the world. The monastery is interesting not only for the church. The cells of the ancient monks were cut right in the rocks. The current and still male cave monastery stores the miraculous icon of the healer Panteleimon, which attracts many pilgrims.

Nature attractions in Mtskheta

In the vicinity of the city there is a national park Kazbegi. This is not only a great opportunity to get acquainted with the picturesque nature of Georgia. After all, the gorge in the Terek valley has long been the most important strategic passage from Transcaucasia to the north. Sheer rocks are crowned by medieval castles. Kazbegi is the third highest mountain. According to legend, Prometheus was chained here.