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⛪ Saint Thekla Monastery in Kutaisi: The Story of the First Martyr

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📋 What to know before your visit

📍 Address Daniel Chonkadze Street, Kutaisi
⛰️ Location on a hill within the city
👤 Dedicated to Saint Thecla, a first-century protomartyr
🕊️ Status an active convent of the Georgian Orthodox Church
💰 Entry free, as at most active monasteries in Georgia
🚗 Getting there easier by car or taxi, the monastery sits on high ground
💡 If you were searching for the Monastery of Saint Thecla and landed on an article about Cyprus or Syria, that's a different place. The Kutaisi monastery is a separate, less widely known convent. Details below 👇

🧭 About this article

The Monastery of Saint Thecla stands on a hill in Kutaisi and is dedicated to one of the most venerated saints of the early Christian church. Useful if you want to know who Saint Thecla was, and avoid confusing this monastery with the better-known convents of the same name outside Georgia.

⛪ A monastery on a hill

The Monastery of Saint Thecla stands in Kutaisi, on Daniel Chonkadze Street, on high ground within the city. It's an active convent dedicated to Saint Thecla, one of the most venerated women in early Christianity.

Before getting into the monastery itself, it's worth explaining who it's named after. The story of Saint Thecla is far older and better known than the story of this particular building in Kutaisi, and without it, it's hard to understand why dozens of churches across the Orthodox world carry her name.

Monastery of Saint Thecla

📖 Who was Saint Thecla

Thecla lived in the 1st century AD and is considered one of the first disciples of the Apostle Paul. According to tradition, she came from a noble family and was engaged to an influential young man, but after hearing Paul preach, she gave up her former life and devoted herself to the Christian faith.

That decision came at a steep price. Tradition tells of several attempts to execute Thecla for refusing to renounce her faith, including burning and being thrown to wild beasts, from which she miraculously survived. That's why the church venerates her as a protomartyr, the first woman martyr in the history of Christianity.

After these trials, Thecla is said to have lived an ascetic life devoted to preaching, which is why she's honoured not only as a martyr but also as equal to the apostles, a title she shares with the apostles themselves. It's this breadth of veneration that explains why monasteries and churches bearing her name can be found in very different countries, from Cyprus and Syria to Georgia.

Saint Thekla

ℹ️ The best-known monasteries of Saint Thecla are not in Georgia but in Cyprus (in the village of Mosfiloti, near Larnaca) and in the Syrian town of Maaloula. These are the ones that come up most often when searching for the saint's name online. The Kutaisi monastery is a separate convent, less known outside Georgia, though it shares the same venerated name.

💡 Editor's tip

If you're planning a tour of churches and monasteries in Kutaisi, it makes sense to combine a visit here with other churches nearby. That turns a single stop into a route through Kutaisi's spiritual history, rather than a one-off visit to one building.

🏛️ What is known about the monastery in Kutaisi

Let's be upfront: a detailed, documented history of this particular monastery, its founding year, its architect, could not be found in open sources. Here's what is known:

  • The monastery sits on a hill on Daniel Chonkadze Street
  • It's an active convent of the Georgian Orthodox Church
  • The monastery is dedicated to Saint Thecla, a first-century protomartyr and equal-to-the-apostles saint
Monastery of Saint Thecla

Interesting fact: monasteries bearing Thecla's name exist in at least three countries, Cyprus, Syria and Georgia, and this isn't the only parallel of its kind. Many early Christian saints are venerated simultaneously in several, sometimes far-flung, regions, and a name like "Monastery of Saint So-and-So" doesn't always point to one specific, best-known place.

🗺️ How to find the monastery

The monastery sits on high ground, so it's easier to navigate by map than by a written route description.

Below is the exact point on the map, with a link through to the monastery's catalogue listing.

🌍 Near the monastery

ℹ️ The historical information about the monastery building itself is based on limited open data. Details about Saint Thecla are drawn from generally accepted sources of church tradition.

💬 Tell us

Have you been to the Monastery of Saint Thecla in Kutaisi? Share your impressions in the comments, and let us know whether you knew this saint's story before reading this article.

📝 In short

The Monastery of Saint Thecla in Kutaisi stands in the shadow of its far more famous namesakes in Cyprus and Syria, but its name carries the same story: the first woman martyr of Christianity, honoured across many corners of the Orthodox world.

❓ Questions people often ask about the Monastery of Saint Thecla

🤔 Who was Saint Thecla?

💬 A disciple of the Apostle Paul who lived in the 1st century, venerated by the church as the first woman martyr of Christianity and as equal to the apostles.

🤔 Is this the same monastery as the one in Cyprus?

💬 No, these are different convents. The best-known Monastery of Saint Thecla is in Cyprus, in the village of Mosfiloti, and another is in Maaloula, Syria. The Kutaisi monastery is a separate site in Georgia.

🤔 Where is the Monastery of Saint Thecla in Kutaisi?

💬 On Daniel Chonkadze Street, on a hill within the city.

🤔 Is this an active monastery?

💬 Yes, it's an active convent of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

🤔 Why are there monasteries of Thecla in different countries?

💬 Because she's among the most venerated saints of the early church, and over time her name became a common dedication for churches and monasteries far beyond the place where she lived.

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Marina Orlova

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2 comments

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  • И
    Игорь Соловьев
    Әрбір баруымда Грузия мен оның тарихы мен мәдениетінің тереңдігіне таңғаламын. Кутайси қаласындағы Святой Текла монастырі туралы жазғандарыңыз мені қатты қуандырды. Нені білу маңызды екені, қай жерде орналасқаны, бәрі қызықты! Монахтардың тарихы мен олардың тағдыры - қандай драматургия! Сіздерге оңай әңгімелеу мүмкіндігі берілді, ал мен үшін бұл - тереңірек ұмытылмас сезімдер. Монастырьдың жанына барғанда, оның тыныштығы мен руханиятының күші мені қабылдағандай болады. Мүмкін, мұның ар жағында бірнеше оқиғалардың толқыны жатыр. Сол жерде уақыт тоқтап қалған секілді, біздің қазіргі өмірімізбен байланыс жоғалады. Әрине, мен тағы барып, соның бәрін тереңірек сезінгім келеді.
  • Н
    Николай Павлов
    Когда я впервые услышал о монастыре Святой Феклы, я сразу подумал: вот это да, нечто большее, чем просто камни и стены. Это место как будто дышит, наполнено историей и легендами. Я сам не раз был в Кутаиси, но почему-то этот монастырь как-то ускользал от моего внимания. Теперь вот сожалею. Интересно, какой там вообще атмосферу ощущаешь? Спокойствие или, наоборот, что-то мистическое?

    Кажется, каждый уголок Грузии хранит свои тайны, и Фекла не исключение. Звучит так, будто там можно не только узнать о мученице, но и о себе. Я даже задумался, сколько таких мест еще недоступно для глаз туристов.

    Есть ли у кого-то опыт, как там лучше всего провести время? Интересно, возможно ли остаться на ночь, чтобы по-настоящему погрузиться в эту атмосферу?
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