The community is dedicated to the Three Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, and holds stauropegial status: that means direct subordination to the patriarch, bypassing the local diocese. For a rural monastery such standing is notable.
The monastery stands in Berta, a village on the Tsalka plateau, north-east of Tsalka. This is the most visited place of the Kvemo Kartli part after the Asureti church, and by present measures the community is a marked centre of attraction among the sparse villages of the high plateau.
The monastery is active, so the rules are stricter than in a village church: covered shoulders and knees, a headscarf for women, quiet in the yard and inside. Photographing the brethren is not done, and it is better to ask before photographing the buildings. The plateau is windy, and clothes should be warmer than the forecast suggests.
โช For pilgrims
- Stauropegia means direct subordination of the community to the patriarch
- Berta on the Tsalka plateau, north-east of Tsalka
- Dedicated to the Three Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom
๐ Getting there
- Landmark: Berta village, Tsalka municipality; about eighteen kilometres to Tsalka
- The Build Route button will show the exact way
โ๏ธ If you have made it here, tell about it in a review - your experience will help others.
