The monastery is located in Ortubani village, Kareli Municipality, in the Dzama River gorge, near the famous Kintsvisi Monastery from Queen Tamar's era, among the churches, cathedrals, monasteries and synagogues of the region. The complex is also known as Mdzovreti, or Mzovreti: the name derives from a Georgian word meaning "customs," as tolls were once collected here for passage.
The site's history stretches back to the 10th century, when the ancient prince Adranase took refuge here. The place truly flourished in the early 17th century, when the feudal Tsitsishvili family relocated their residence here from Samtsverisi, turning Mdzovreti into a political centre of Shida Kartli's nobility throughout the 14th-17th centuries. In the 19th century the family left, the town ceased to exist, and the present-day village of Ortubani later grew on its ruins.
For more on the complex's history, see the article on Ortubani Nunnery.
The complex includes a hall-type Church of the Mother of God, built of cobblestone and crushed sandstone, with a brick apse and vault; an 18th-century three-storey bell tower, also built for defensive purposes; a seven-storey tower; a fortress wall; and the remains of a palace and outbuildings. In 2008, the complex was consecrated as a monastery dedicated to the Assyrian Fathers, opening a new chapter in its history. Today it houses three active churches, a library and an orchard planted by the monks. The road to the monastery is paved, and the drive from Tbilisi takes about two hours.
