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Monastery · Mtskheta, Mtskheta Municipality, Mtskheta-Mtianeti

Jvari Monastery

ჯვრის მონასტერი · Jvari

A stone tetraconch church on a rocky summit where the Aragvi meets the Mtkvari, looking down on Mtskheta; built at the end of the 6th century and part of the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta World Heritage property.

Where it is

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41.8384, 44.7333

Why go

Tradition holds that Saint Nino raised a wooden cross on this hilltop in the 4th century, and the church takes its name, jvari, from that cross. Stepanoz I, ruler of Kartli, built the present church over the spot, and inscriptions in the early Georgian asomtavruli script on its walls record his work. The plan is what to study: four apses and four niches around a central dome, a scheme later Georgian church builders took up. Monks have lived here again since 1996. See it for the building and its position above the rivers, then go down to Svetitskhoveli and Samtavro in town.

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Historic town

Mtskheta

Mtskheta was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Iberia and is the place where Georgia adopted Christianity in the fourth century. Today it is a small, walkable town twenty kilometres from Tbilisi holding Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, the hilltop church of Jvari, the working convent of Samtavro and the archaeological remains of the pre-Christian royal city, inscribed together on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is simultaneously Georgia's most important pilgrimage destination and its most accessible serious historical site.

city

Tbilisi

Georgia’s capital is a layered city of old balconies, sulfur baths, hillside neighborhoods, contemporary restaurants and centuries of history along the Mtkvari River.

Getting here

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Road last checked 2026-09-11.

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  • Guided tour · skygate

    Mtskheta Day Trip

    A guided day trip covering the Mtskheta sites. Check the current itinerary and booking details on SkyGate.

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