The monastery of Ikalto was founded by an Assyrian priest. The building is a unique architectural monument and belongs to the most beautiful places in Georgia.
The monastery of Ikalto was founded by an Assyrian priest. The building is a unique architectural monument and belongs to the most beautiful places in Georgia.
In the picturesque region of Georgia – Katechia, there is a medieval monument of Georgian architecture – the Monastery of Ikalto. It is in this region that the most beautiful places of Georgia are located.
The monastery complex was founded in the 6th century by Zeno, an Assyrian clergyman, after his death the priest was buried in the same monastery.
Sights of Georgia, especially medieval monasteries are often shrouded in legends, and the monastery in Ikalto was no exception. According to legend, Arsen Ikaltoeli founded an academy here in the 11th-12th centuries. The church ensemble includes three churches, they have survived to the present day, there are also ruins of once majestic buildings, it is assumed that there was a refectory and an academy. The main church – Gvtayeba, was built in the 8th-9th centuries, it was erected on the site of an older building – the monastery where Zeno was originally buried.
In the neighborhood there is a smaller church – Sameba, it has been restored many times, but thanks to careful care, now you can see parts of the temple there that date back to the 8th century. The third building resembles a feudal palace, it is the latest building in the entire monastery complex, the date of construction dates back to the 12th-13th centuries.
The complex is worth visiting not only for lovers of the Middle Ages, because in addition to the amazing architecture, it is surrounded by unique nature, there is something to see in Georgia.
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Ikalto Academy
It is assumed that the Ikalto Academy was one of the higher educational institutions of Georgia during the 11th-12th centuries. This conclusion was made by the characteristic secular decoration of the walls of the building.
According to the ruins of the academy, one can judge the monumentality of the former building, a similar medieval higher educational institution was located in Gelati.
Theology, writing, rhetoric, philosophy and singing were taught here, in addition to theory, students also studied practical skills necessary in that era, for example, the manufacture of metal and clay objects, winemaking and the basics of making medicines.
The academy also carried out scientific work on the translation of manuscripts from Greek, some copies even survived.
History
It became known that the academy stopped working in 1616, after the destruction of the monastery by Shah Abbas. Later it was restored, but for a long time this monastery was then closed, then restored, finally it was rehabilitated only in 2009.
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Фотографии монастыря и его окрестностей впечатляют своей красотой и атмосферой. Я сразу почувствовала себя на месте, погруженной в духовную и культурную обстановку этого места.
Благодаря вашим описаниям и историческим сведениям, я теперь лучше понимаю значение монастыря Икальто для Грузии и его роль в развитии грузинской культуры и образования. Эта статья заставляет меня мечтать о посещении этого удивительного места и погружении в его богатую историю. Спасибо за такую увлекательную статью!