Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Mtskheta, Georgia

Previous posts:

1. Jvari Monastery and the City of Uplistsikhe, Georgia

2. The Fortress and City of Gori, Georgia

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Mtskheta, Georgia

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, Georgia. Photo by Caroline Carson.

After visiting the city of Gori, our group headed back toward Tbilisi to Svetitskhoveli Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles. in the gorgeous ancient city of Mtskheta, Georgia. 

Mtskheta, Georgia: View from Jvari monastery, photo by Caroline Carson

Now, if there's anyone who loves visiting churches and cathedrals, it would be me! I happily observed that Georgia seems to have more churches than I've ever seen before so I was excited the whole time I was there! The stunning Mtskheta is one of the oldest cities in the country and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It was even declared a "Holy City" in 2014 by the Georgian Orthodox Church as it was the birthplace of Christianity in Georgia. The city itself is a charming destination and seems to enjoy a reasonable amount of tourism. The citizens are very friendly, the food is fantastic, and there are plenty of things to do.

Mtskheta. Photo by Caroline Carson

The way through town to the cathedral is through quaint, narrow streets lined with grape leaves. Georgia has a vibrant wine making history; the fertile valleys of the Caucasus making it one of the world's oldest and largest producers of wine. The region holds the source of the world's first cultivated grapevines and Neolithic wine production, from over 8,000 years ago! Everything I tasted was excellent so I can vouch for quality of both the white and red wines - all research was scientific - of course ;-)

               Mtskheta streets                   

   
The Georgian Orthodox Church developed several important styles of religious art which are still around today: polyphonic church singing, cloisonne icons, and enameled mosaics, calligraphy, and the "cross-dome" style of architecture. I saw some of these in Svetitskhoveli Cathedral though I did not hear any Georgian choirs or orthodox choral music (very similar to Russian Orthodox choral music). I did hear chanting though and there's a video link later in this post. The cathedral was cross-dome shaped.
Built into the cathedral, on the south side, is a tiny square cupola chapel built between the end of the 13th and the beginning the 14th centuries. It is a replica of the Chapel of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and was built at the site to mark Svetitskhoveli as the second most sacred place in the world.

Part of the old structure - a tiny Medieval
cupola chapel within a cathedral! Photo by Caroline Carson.

The name "Svetitskhoveli" means "Living Pillar". In the traditional Georgian style of churches, it has one dome atop a descending layer of structures. The cathedral is the second largest church building in the country, second only to Sameba (Holy Trinity Cathedral) in Tbilisi. Svetitskhoveli is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is rumored to be the place where Christ's mantle is kept. Of COURSE it was "downstairs being preserved" and safe underneath the crypt, so no one can see it. I found out later that there are several versions of where Christ's mantle is kept. (Link above and see below regarding Georgia's versions.)

According to the tradition of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the chiton was acquired by a Jewish Rabbi from Georgia named Elioz (Elias), who was present in Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion and bought the robe from a soldier. He brought it with him when he returned to his native town of Mtskheta, Georgia, where it is preserved to this day beneath a crypt in the Patriarchal Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. The feast day in honor of the “Chiton of the Lord” is celebrated on October 1.

Prayer book with candle wax stains

Another, more dramatic version is here (again from wiki, sorry, BUT I had no guide to tell me anything while there and nothing was in English so.....)

According to Georgian hagiography, in the 1st century AD a Georgian Jew from Mtskheta named Elias was in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. Elias bought Jesus’ robe from a Roman soldier at Golgotha and brought it back to Georgia. Returning to his native city, he was met by his sister Sidonia who upon touching the robe immediately died from the emotions engendered by the sacred object. The robe could not be removed from her grasp, so she was buried with it.[2] The place where Sidonia is buried with Christ's robe is preserved in the Cathedral. Later, from her grave grew an enormous cedar tree. Ordering the cedar chopped down to build the church, St. Nino had seven columns made from it for the church’s foundation. The seventh column, however, had magical properties and rose by itself into the air. It returned to earth after St. Nino prayed the whole night. It was further said that from the magical seventh column a sacred liquid flowed that cured people of all diseases. In Georgiansveti means "pillar" and tskhoveli means "life-giving" or "living", hence the name of the cathedral.

Side of cathedral

Fascinating! I really wish I had known all of this history before I went. As it was, I hadn't even the foggiest idea! Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is ALSO the location of a relic of St. Andrew, the First-called's footstep. It looked like the top of a foot was under the glass case. Here, from the Georgian Brotherhood of the Holy Cross, is a bit more about St. Andrew in Georgia and takes us to the point at which St. Nino came to the country.

According to the will of God and the blessing of the Theotokos, St. Andrew the First-called set off for Georgia to preach the Christian Faith. He entered Georgia from the southwest, in the region of Atchara, and subsequently preached in every region of the nation. He established a hierarchy for the Georgian Church and then returned to Jerusalem for Pascha. When he visited Georgia for the second time, the Apostle Andrew was accompanied by the Apostles Matthias and Simon the Canaanite. Years passed and, under threat from Persian fire-worshippers and other pagan communities, the memory of Christ faded from the minds of the Georgian people. Then, at the beginning of the 4th century, according to God’s will and the blessing of the Most Holy Theotokos, the holy virgin Nino arrived in Kartli to preach the Christian Faith. She settled in the outskirts of Mtskheta, in the bramble bushes of the king’s garden. St. Nino inquired as to the whereabouts of our Lord’s Robe, but no one could remember where it had been preserved. In her quest for the Precious Robe, she became acquainted with Elioz’s descendants, the Jewish priest Abiatar and his daughter, Sidonia. St. Nino converted them to Christianity.

Georgian painting of St. Andrew entering the country

I tried taking several photographs discreetly, but everything was too dark. I found the relic when I heard chanting and wandered into a smaller side chapel to listen a bit. I saw this priest lighting candles, chanting, and kissing the icons and THEN......

    

I heard a female voice chanting in response! I stayed to bathe in the incense, the holy aura of slowly wafting light, and the chant in stillness I hadn't found in the other, busier and touristy parts of the cathedral. It was so beautiful and serene. A slice of a life in an orthodoxy I knew little about, carrying its daily routine to God with care and dedication.

After a while, my wits came to order and I managed to make a small video of the room and the chanting. By then a few other folks were coming in.

Above is the gorgeous main dome of the cathedral, bedecked with  Medieval painting. The cathedral is also the Medieval coronation and burial site of all of the kings of ancient Georgia. At least six tombs have been found, but more are assumed to be there below. Several found tombs are all set before this altar front area. (Sorry for the fuzzy image - soft lighting and lack of camera skills.)

The whole Svetitskhoveli cathedral and monastery complex contains the remnants of a palace and the gates of the king Melchizedek I who was the first Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, from 1010 to 1033. He is held as a saint by the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Back inside the cathedral, amazing Medieval paintings were on many walls. My absolute favorite one is below. (I love ancient wheels!) I'm not sure of all that this one represents, but the wheel in the center features the Twelve Apostles in the inner circle and the outer rim of the wheel is of the Zodiac! SO COOL! First is a closeup (w/ flash) and then an overall shot. 

There are also other wheels - this Seraphim was to the right of the high altar area. This whole area was blocked off due to reconstruction and restoration efforts.
                        
And this, below, was the best shot I could get of the entire altar painting without scaffolding:

Painted in the 19th Century by a Russian artist

There are several modern items to the Cathedral, including the giant painting above. These give it a timeless quality and accessibility to those of Orthodox faith that visit today. This holy is a highlight and testament to the centuries of Georgian Orthodoxy, Christianity, and history. If you are in Georgia, DO NOT MISS IT. 

Jvari Monastery and the City of Uplistsikhe, Georgia

In the summer of 2015, I had the good fortune to travel to formerly Soviet Georgia for a few days. Having long-desired to visit this beautiful Orthodox country, I was only able to stay for three and a half days, but it was a highlight of my year and I hope to return!

                 Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015                    

When I return, I'd especially like to see the Caucasus mountain region and some of the high country! I flew into the capital city of Tbilisi, found my hotel, and immediately ventured out to walk down the street to one of the town squares. Tbilisi proved to be very friendly, clean, beautiful, and full of sites and activities. As I also wanted to see some of the surrounding areas and get into the real countryside of Georgia, I talked to several people while at dinner and strolling around with gelato later that evening. After several recommendations, I entered a tourist shop featuring t-shirts, knick-knacks, and tours. 

Collage of photos by Caroline Carson

I hired a driver, through a travel agent/clerk, to travel to Uplistsikhe, a city I knew nothing about, but which seemed intriguing and was itself a UNESCO World Heritage site. Of the several dusty brochures in the store, this city had the prettiest pictures and was not very expensive. It ended up being about $25 for about 9 hours of tour! What an AMAZING journey! After an early morning stroll downtown, I met up with my driver and a van full of Latvians who would soon be my new friends. Before long, my fellow adventurers and our Russian driver, Georgi, were singing (me humming), Russian Orthodox melodies to the radio in a beat-up, smoke-infused van on the way to see one of the earliest important crossroads cities between the Orient and Oxident in the world. 

                 Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015                    

On the way to Uplistsikhe, we stopped at the Jvari Monastery which is on the top of a hill and absolutely amazing. I had no idea that we would be stopping here at all! This could be due to the fact that I do not speak Georgian, Russian, or Latvian. Jvari is a UNESCO site.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

The Jvari Monastery is the "Monastery of the Cross" and was built in the 6th century. It is near the beautiful city of Mtskheta, one of the oldest cities in the country and one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on Earth. Mtskheta is about thirteen miles outside of Tbilisi so a very easy trip to make. It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kartli (Iberia) and has become known as the "Holy City" because it is the birthplace of Christianity in Georgia. In the fourth century, Saint Nino, a female saint, placed a large cross on the hillside at the site of Jvari monastery. After time, there began to be rumors of miracles and strange, yet wonderful happenings at the mountain. A church was built on the site and later, a monastery founded. Around the back of the monastery, we were treated to stunning views of Mtskheta and the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers below. 

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

Inside, the smell of incense wafted through thickened sunbeams, bringing a hush to everyone who entered. Donning a scarf to cover my head, I stood in silence for several moments, just taking it all in. I did wish we had more time, even if I hadn't previously known we were stopping here. There is something quite special and holy about the sacred spaces of Orthodox churches with the thin candles leaning in quiet effort to the Divine and the fragrances of incense and flowers in the air. The light in these places always has a different quality to me...one threaded with purpose and meaning. 

Photo by Caroline Carson, 2015

After being still and saying a few prayers, I went out of the monastery chapel and walked the grounds a bit. I found these three hanging bells, calling to the hills and claiming together a congregation of anyone who could hear them.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

Next, we were back in the van, already drenched with sweat and gulping water. I think it was about 100 that day (I know it was 103 the following day when I visited Azerbaijan.) After an hour or more, Georgi took us off the main highway and toward an embankment of low, rolling mountains. Here, somewhere, was Uplistsikhe, the famous cave city, known as "The Ruler's Fortress" and often called "The Lord's Fortress" of long ago. An ancient city hewn out of the mountainside, Uplistsikhe was one of the oldest urban centers in Georgia and became an important religious, trade, and political center. It is in the midst of what is known as the Kartli region.The road began to be rocky and VERY bumpy, enough to where I was wondering how many spare tires might be in the back. A few cows were sighted, what looked like several abandoned townlets, and a river. 

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

When we finally got there, our driver parked and we got out. There were a few old men sitting at small, rusting tables, selling wares and a ticket desk leading to a snack cafe and a very small museum. Our driver gave us a few hours and so I took off to climb the old city and see what I could. After a few large rock outcroppings that I climbed, there were sets of stairs, about 50 steps each and boy were they RICKETY. Each step consisted of metal bars lined on the top with a rotting wooden plank. I will add here that I am ok with two or three flights of stairs and then I'm not ok. I have to stop a lot and hold on to things and take it slowly. It was also extremely windy and I couldn't use my umbrella to escape the relentless sun so I just gave up and prepared myself for massive sunburn. I was a bit surprised that handrails were not in certain places and that getting from one set of steps to a higher area involved large...no....gigantic leaps from one rock to the other. If no one had been around, I would have been on "all fours" at times (and I'm ok with that if I want to climb on steep rocks), but I did ask a hand from a stranger to get up onto one rock where this picture was taken.

Finally, I made it to the top and could explore some of the cave rooms. There were cave ceilings with decorations on the top and it seemed that the inhabitants had thought of everything from cooking pits to individual cells, to a theatre and to wine presses in the ground! A couple of the ceilings were so ornate that it reminded me of a Western European Baroque style. Here is one example of the decorated ceilings.

There were several "temples" carved and I was told they were to a Sun goddess who was worshipped by the pagans in this area before Christianity arrived in Georgia. The sloping sandstone cave city was founded in the late Bronze Age (before 1000 BC) and inhabited steadily until the 13th century with, at times, both Christians and pagans. The Christianization of surrounding areas such as Tbilisi and Mtskheta pushed the city to lose favor in deference to the larger cities. Over time, Uplistsike and parts of Georgia were conquered by the Mongols, Annatolians, Arabs, Persians, and more. At its highest population, Uplistsikhe was about 20,000. It didn't look that large to me, but then again, I only had a couple of hours to explore it and it was about a million degrees so I wasn't in top form. The short film in the small museum mentioned that Uplistsikhe's rock-cutting styles were influenced mostly by Northern Iran and Cappadocia's (Turkey) rock city formations.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

Another hike took me up to the top of the city where there was a monastery and beautiful small chapel. This has been rebuilt a few times, but is still very old. 

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

I always feel good when I look down at where I have come from on one of these hikes. I can accomplish a great distance, even in my slow, labored style. I'm always so glad I ended up doing it.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015

Making my way down the mountain, I nearly collapsed from the heat once I was low enough to where the wind wasn't so strong. 
IT WAS SO HOT. If you decide to go, PICK A NON-SUMMER TIME.
I wandered into the snack cafe and bought a chilled (not exactly "cold") Georgian lemonade. It was slightly carbonated and sweet, but was the best thing 

                                                              IN. THE. WORLD. 

                        
Pretty soon, my Latvian buddies came in and we sat, drinking lemonade and beer and cokes, trying to will the temperature down with sheer contempt for the tragic sun's crusade to melt.....EVERYTHING.
Next, we went to the museum and watched a small film about Uplistsikhe and its history and then saw some amazing archaeological finds. 

The way out of the city took the whole van's determination. I'm not quite sure what kind of lemonade Georgi was having while we were exploring, but we missed the main road and ended up stopping at a giant hay pile. Next, we crossed a small riverlet, but not the one we had first come across. We ran into three men on scooters and asked them which way to go. This led us to a road made of small boulders and big sticks, nearly toppling the van twice. FINALLY, we saw a highway and took it. Next, we were headed to the Batumi fortress and the town of Gori (where Joself Stalin was born), and the wondrous Svetitskhoveli Church. 
I'll also share a bit of travel to David Gareja (also Davit Kareji) monastery and crossing into Azerbaijan.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2915

Here is a link to my Facebook album of my photos from Georgia. 
I HIGHLY recommend seeing the city of Uplistsikhe if you have time while in visiting Georgia. Bring sunscreen, wear good shoes, and know ahead of time that parts of the city slope steeply and there is always the possibility in brushland of both snakes and larger-than-I-want-to-describe spiders. Also, wear your sunglasses as it is very windy and bright.
I love, love, LOVE ancient archaeological sites like this one. It is well worth it to step in the same paths of our ancestors and to touch our own planet's ancient history as our cities were being formed.

Photo by Caroline Carson, July 2015