Alaverdi Cathedral and Monastery near Telavi

The present cathedral was built at the beginning of the XI century by the decree of the king of the Ranes and Kakhetians Kvirike III (1010-1037) on the place where the Church of St. George used to be. It became an episcopal center. The vicar of the monastery of Alaverdi was at the same time the Archbishop of Alaverdi and was titled as Amba of Alaverdi (i.e. the first bishop). Since the XVI century Amba Alaverdsky was the main person in the church, he was elevated to the rank of metropolitan. "Alaverdi" is an Arabic word and means "given by God". This word was associated with productivity and fertility, so it is found as the name of settlements in those countries where they are mainly engaged in agriculture.

Alaverdi Cathedral is the tallest building among the medieval monuments of Georgian architecture (51 m.) It is a triconch of the Jvari type. The entrance is here from three sides. A large space (42 m/ 26 m) of the cathedral's interior is illuminated by light coming from 16 windows located in the dome drum. Alaverdi is relatively modestly decorated with carved patterns and ornaments, which is generally characteristic of Kakhetian churches. The cathedral is built of cobblestone, its outer side is lined with travertine. It is covered with tiles made of blue glaze. There are a lot of inscriptions on the walls. The monastery complex is surrounded by a fortress wall (XVII century), and inside its territory there are three-storey chambers - the bishop's residence, a brick palace (built in 1615 by the ruler of Kakheti Peikar Khan), a bathhouse, a wine cellar (marani), monks' cells.

Alaverdi was repeatedly damaged as a result of enemy raids and earthquakes. In the middle of the XVII century. the Persians turned the cathedral into a fortress. Its large-scale restoration was carried out by tsars Alexander I (1476-1511) and Heraclius II (1744-1798). The drum of the dome was restored and the destroyed walls were built of brick. Here (in the XI century, XV-XVIII centuries) was the tomb of the Kakhetian kings.

In the XIX century, by order of the Russian church Synod, Alaverdi, like other Georgian cathedrals, was whitewashed with lime. It was only after the restorations carried out in 1966 that a very rich fresco painting was discovered both from the time of the foundation of the cathedral (XI century) and later (XV-XVII).

The Alaverdi Monastery was one of the most important centers of Georgian enlightenment. One of the old manuscripts was copied here - the Alaverdian Gospel (1054), which is now kept in the National Center of Manuscripts.

On September 27, during the celebration of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, the birthday of the cathedral - Alaverdob is celebrated. This ancient tradition is associated with harvesting and is held in honor of the founder of the cathedral, Joseph Alaverdsky. Pilgrims from different regions of Georgia come to Alaverdoba overnight. In the old days, the holiday lasted three weeks.