Seven Temples of Tbilisi: Pilgrimage Tradition and History

What to expect

You will visit seven Orthodox churches in the Old City, stroll through atmospheric streets, and enjoy picturesque views. I will tell you about the essence of the pilgrimage ritual and what needs to be done in each church when we meet. Here is our travel plan:

Church of St. Marina
You will visit the church built in 1856 by the will of Metropolitan Isidor and by order of Emperor Alexander. For many years it stood abandoned in the depths of the yard, surrounded by residential buildings, during the Soviet era there was a photo lab in it. Since 2002, the church has been active.

Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos
Next, our path lies along the Metekhi descent, along which merchants brought goods, wine, and various utensils to the city, to the ancient temple of Metekhi, located on the eponymous rock in the center of Tbilisi. Its history begins with Vakhtang Gorgasali. You will see a monument to the founder of the future capital near the monastery. I will tell you about the difficult path the temple has gone through, as well as introduce you to its sacred sites. In particular, the first Georgian martyr - Queen Shushanik is buried here.

Church of Father Christ
Then we will go to the temple built in the second half of the 5th century, also during the time of Vakhtang Gorgasali. It was then called "Golgotha." According to legend, St. Nino herself lived here and carried out her activities.

Sion Cathedral
We will definitely reach the historically main temple of Tbilisi. The cathedral houses the largest shrine of the Georgian Orthodox Church - the Cross of St. Nino, the evidence of the emergence of Christianity in our land. You will also hear about other relics on the tour.

Anchiskhati Church
In addition, in our pilgrimage tour, there is a three-nave basilica of the Nativity of the Virgin, built in the 6th century. “Anchis Khatis” is translated as the Anchisk Icon, the famous non-handmade icon of the Savior, kept in the cathedral of Anch (Southern Georgia). It belonged to the legendary Queen Tamar.

Small or Old Sameba
After the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity (Tsminda Sameba) was built in the Avlabari area in 1995-2005, the people of Tbilisi call this church the "small" or "old" Sameba. You will learn about the first church built on this site at the end of the 18th century, and the subsequent one, built a century later. The church has preserved the mural painted in the late 19th century by the Tiflis artist Ludwig Longo.

Kashveti Church of St. George
The name "Kashveti" comes from the combination of two Georgian words "kva" - stone, "shva" - to give birth. You will uncover the legend associated with this name and with Reverend David Garedjian during the walk. The new church building was built in the early 20th century on the site of another, older one. It is also interesting to study the frescoes painted by the influential Georgian artist Lado Gudiashvili here.