One of Georgia’s oldest cities, Mtskheta is located in the centre of the country at the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers. It’s considered the birthplace of Christianity in Georgia and a “Holy City”, with the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A highlight of any trip to Mtskheta is the Svetitskhoveli “Life Giving Pillar” Cathedral, built in the early 11th century and one of Georgia’s most sacred churches. It is considered a masterpiece of the Early Middle Ages and is the burial site of many Georgian kings, as well as housing Christ’s mantle. Also of significance to early Georgian religious architecture is the Jvari Monastery which sits atop a cliff overlooking Mtskheta. It was built in the 6th century and features numerous bas-reliefs with Hellenistic and Sasanian influences on its facade, together with outstanding views across the town and surrounding landscape. Just to the north of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral are the Samtavro Transfiguration Orthodox Church and Nunnery of St. Nino, built in the 4th century by King Mirian III of Iberia. It was reconstructed in the 11th century by King George I and famously contains the burial site of the Georgian monk Gabriel. A road leads north from here to the ruins of Bebris Tsikhe “The Elder's Fortress”, built to defend Mtskheta’s northern approach, while to the south of the Mtkvari River are the ruins of the Akhaltsikhe fortress and acropolis which date to the 3rd century BC.
Mtskheta is situated around 25 kilometres north of the capital Tbilisi and connected by regular minibuses from the Didube Market to Mtskheta’s main street. The town itself is small enough to explore on foot, while taxis are available for the five kilometre trip to the Jvari Monastery.
Mtskheta was founded in the 5th century BC to serve as the capital of the Georgian Kingdom of Mtskheta, and it was here that Christianity was declared the state religion of Kartli in 337AD. King Dachi I Ujarmeli moved the capital to Tbilisi during the 6th century AD by his father’s wishes, but Mtskheta remained as both the coronation and burial place of Georgian kings up until the 19th century.