Jvari Monastery, UNESCO, Georgia
The Jvari Monastery, or Monastery of the Cross, is one of the oldest in the Caucasus. It is believed to have been built on the spot where St. Nino established the area’s first mission, setting up a cross big enough so that the whole town could see it. The current monastery dates back to around 600 AD, but the original building wasn’t much older. The architecture of the monastery’s church is an almost fortress-like design that borrowed from the Byzantine style and which later served as a prototype for many of the churches and monasteries of the Caucasus. Although the church is still standing, much of the outer monasterial compound is now a ruin.
The church interior, minimally lit by small window slits and candles, is somewhat dark and brooding. The remains of the Cross of St. Nino were discovered when the earlier church was replaced, and have been on display here since the 7th century. According to tradition, the tomb of St. Nino is believed to be located somewhere beneath the church.
Epic Georgia Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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