Important cultural places in Georgia. Mtskheta and Jvari Monastery.

At the beginning of the VI century, when Tbilisi became the capital, Mtskheta retained the importance of the spiritual center of the Kartli Church, and since the XI century of the whole of Georgia - since 1811 there has been the residence of the head of the Georgian church - the Catholicos - Patriarch of All Georgia. Mtskheta is rich in both archaeological (Bronze and Stone periods) and historical monuments of the ancient times and the Christian era. Among these monuments, Armazi, the residence and tomb of the Farnavazi dynasty, kings of Kartli (IV century BC - V century), should be especially noted. temples of Jvari (VI century), Svetitskhoveli (XI century), Samtavro (XI century), monasteries of Shiomgvime and Zedazeni (VI century), fortress of Bebris-Tsikhe.

Opposite Mtskheta, on the mountain, stands the Jvari Monastery, listed as a World Cultural heritage. The name of the temple is associated with a high wooden cross ("cross" in Georgian - "jvari"), which was erected at this place by King Mirian. In the II half of the VI century, Erismtavari Kartli Guram built a small church next to the cross. This small chapel is now called the small temple of Jvari.

At the turn of the VI-VII centuries, the son of Guram erismtavari Stefanoz I (586-605) erected a large temple, which covered a wooden cross (the cross stand has been preserved in the church to this day). The Jvari Temple after the Bolnisi Sioni was a new stage in the history of architecture development. On the eastern facade there are three relief images of people, on whose initiative and at whose expense the temple was built: in the center is depicted erismtavari Stefanoz kneeling before Christ; on the left is his brother Dmitry together with the guardian angel; on the right is the heir of Stefanoz - Adarnase (above him is also an angel - with an outstretched hand); in front of Adarnase is a kneeling child - his son. On all three reliefs there are inscriptions in the ancient Georgian alphabet "asomtavruli", in which the names and titles of the builders are named.