A village church known by the name Kashveti. The name comes not from a place but from a legend: a woman accused Saint David of Gareji of fathering her child, the saint touched her with his staff and said she would give birth to a stone. Kva shva means exactly that, a stone was born. So it happened, and the phrase stuck as a church name.
Across Georgia the name Kashveti is known from the Tbilisi church on Rustaveli Avenue, but this is a different place: a village church in Kakhetian Akhshani west of Telavi, sharing nothing with it but a word out of legend. This is another church of the village, beside those of Elijah and of the Saviour. The date of building is unknown.
The church is in use, the parish is rural and services are infrequent. Dress modestly, women wear a headscarf. All three Akhshani churches can be seen in one visit.
📜 Of interest
- A village church named Kashveti after the David of Gareji legend
- The village of Akhshani west of Telavi, off the main street
- Not the Tbilisi church on Rustaveli: only the name coincides
🚗 Getting there
- Landmark - the village of Akhshani west of Telavi; the church stands off the main street
- The Build Route button will take you to the spot
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