In the small Georgian village of Alaverdi, the monastery of St. George of the same name is located. “Given by God” - this is how the word “Alaverdi” is translated. And this is no coincidence! Since the first church was built by the founder of Georgian monasticism, the famous ascetic and preacher - Joseph Alaverdeli.
After the death of the elder, in the 9th century the construction of the magnificent Alaverdi Cathedral began. Compared to other religious buildings in Georgia, this building is distinguished by its special grandeur and monumentality.
Currently, the cathedral houses the relics of St. Joseph and the remains of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nino of Cappadocia. You can also look at the majestic fortress walls, the refectory of the monastery, the wine cellar and the baths of the early 17th century. A special feature of this temple is that stunning cathedral paintings, the creation of which date back to the 15th century, have been preserved here.
The Alaverdi monastery complex is nominated for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is considered a national Georgian Orthodox shrine.
Updated 05/07/2019
Alaverdi Monastery in Georgia is famous for the fact that the main cathedral of Kakheti is located on its territory. For many centuries, the Cathedral of St. George was considered the highest church in Georgia. I will tell you the history of the creation of the monastery, what it is like now and how to get there.
History of the monastery
The Alaverdi Monastery in Georgia was founded by Joseph of Alaverdi, one of the 13 Assyrian fathers. This is the name given to the founders of Georgian monasticism, who came from Syria to Georgia in the middle of the 6th century. He built a temple and lived here until his death in 570. The monk's grave has survived to this day. Subsequently, many Kakheti kings were buried here.
Alaverdi Cathedral appeared in the 11th century, when Kakheti was an independent principality. After its construction, it becomes the center of the Alaverdi diocese and successfully fulfills this role to this day. In the Middle Ages, the cathedral was restored several times: either after natural disasters, or after wars and enemy raids. At the beginning of the 17th century, the monastery even briefly became a prison, and cows were kept in some of its buildings.
Over the past two centuries, the status of the cathedral has changed several times. First after the annexation of Georgia to the Russian Empire, then after the establishment of Soviet power.
Important! Do not confuse the Alaverdi Monastery in Georgia with the city of Alaverdi in Armenia. These are two completely different geographical locations. And the etymology of these two words is different.
Monastery and cathedral today
Alaverdi Monastery these days looks more like a fortress. On its territory, in addition to the cathedral building, there are residential buildings and a wine storage facility. The territory is large, but visitors have little access to it.
Inside the Cathedral of St. George, paintings from the 15th century have been preserved. For a long time it held the title of the highest church in Georgia. Only recently this title was taken away from Alaverdi Cathedral.
There is a large free parking lot in front of the monastery walls, and entry to the territory of Alaverdi is also free. Opening hours: 08:00 – 18:00.
During the season, traditional Georgian souvenirs are sold here. Not far from the entrance there is a restaurant with good reviews.
Alaverdi Monastery on the map
How to get to the monastery
Alaverdi Monastery is located right on the highway. The distance from Telavi to Alaverdi Monastery is 20 kilometers, from Tbilisi – 106 kilometers. Theoretically, it is possible to get here by minibus, but in practice I don’t know if this is feasible.
Therefore, I will classify three methods as the main options.
- Car with driver.
- Car for rent.
- Excursion.
Rent a car with driver on the GoTrip website. This is a convenient service with fixed prices and a large selection of drivers. Prices are lower than on the street! The return trip on the same day is FREE.
You can create any route by adding or removing directions.
My friends and I rented a car on this site. In two we saw almost the whole of Kakheti. If you decide to repeat, the following articles will be useful to you.
- Route around Kakheti
I have collected all the excursions that include a visit to the Alaverdi Monastery.
Alaverdi is a cathedral and monastery complex of the 11th century. It is located in the village of Alaverdi, which is 20 km from the capital of Kakheti - the city of Telavi. Alaverdi is the main temple of all Kakheti.
Alaverdi was founded by the Assyrian father Joseph of Alaverdi in the 6th century. At that time it was a small monastery, to which people came to listen to the stories of the hermit monk about faith, virtues and vices. After the death of Joseph of Alaverdi, he was buried in the church; his grave is still located in the northern part of the modern cathedral. At the beginning of the 11th century, King Kvirike III of Kakheti built the Cathedral of St. George and the Alaverdi monastery complex on the site of the ancient church. The cathedral has survived a lot: raids, conquests, earthquakes and destruction at the hands of men. In 1530, the temple was damaged by a strong earthquake. In 1614, the cruel Iranian Shah Abbas raided these places. The Persians settled the Alazani Valley with Turkmens, who turned the monastery into a barnyard and the vineyards into pastures. In 1660, the Bakhtrion uprising occurred, the Persians were expelled, and the monastery was saved. In 1700, the Lezgins attacked the temple. And in 1742, another disaster awaited the temple - an earthquake occurred again, which damaged the cathedral. After the annexation of Georgia to the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 19th century, the diocese in the temple was either destroyed, then restored again, and in 1929 it was finally liquidated by the Soviet government. The revival of the monastery began relatively recently - in the 1990s thanks to several monks led by Amba David. Today Alaverdi is a functioning monastery and a whole complex of buildings attached to it - the Church of St. George, a 16th-century refectory, a bathhouse, a bell tower, an episcopal palace, a winery and a huge ancient qvevri assembled from the rubble. At the monastery there is a so-called grape museum - more than 500 varieties of grapes grow here, including rare and once lost ones. The height of the cathedral is 50 meters, and the height of the internal space exceeds 42 meters. Before the construction of the Tsminda Sameba Temple in Tbilisi, Alaverdi was the tallest cathedral in Georgia. The shape of the monastery is a cruciform structure - a triconch. Despite repeated destruction, the cathedral has retained its original outline. Of the three galleries surrounding the temple, only one has survived. The outside walls of the monastery are decorated with ornamental carvings. Inside the temple, ancient frescoes have been preserved, stunningly beautiful images of the fathers and apostles of the church, inscriptions in the ancient Georgian language and paintings dating back to the 15th century. Alaverdi Cathedral reflects the peace and grandeur of these places. Built in the 11th century, it still amazes today with the grandeur of its scale. The feeling of the presence of centuries-old history and traces of the work of the people living here make the atmosphere of this place special. Link to
Geo - earth. Georgia is a space that nurtures and fills like a ray of sunshine.
The world of Alaverdi is a special space in space: frozen time that has preserved purity and rhythm, architecture that has its own sound, people with a deep, pure look.
There are places on earth that accumulate the meaning and essence of our existence. One of these places is the space of Alaverdi, where on the eve of the church holiday of the monastery on September 20 - 22, 2016, a unique event awaits us -.
The Alaverdi Monastery is a place of creation, where processes are alive, returning us to the source, the meaning of existence, where a mystery takes place, immersing us in a real miracle. This miracle is expressed in the manifestation of life-giving essence, which is created with sweat and labor by Vladyka David, Father Gerasim, and Father Joseph.
This is a monastery whose monks, through their service, showed us a real miracle in the form of miraculous elixirs (which can hardly be called wine in the usual sense), containing subtle and truly divine nectar.
Farming teaches us humility and hope. By cultivating the land, we follow the will of heaven, God's command. This is not an imaginary thread, it is a string that connects us to heaven. The body of Adam and the body of the pitcher have a single structure, a single blood. Alaverdi is a place where we can erase time, where a path is laid to the truth that lives a thousand years ago and now. A place that erases history and boundaries, when in our time we can relive the history of bygone days. Wine made in qvevri pleases the human soul. In the Alaverdi Monastery this is also combined with the power of space.
No less a miracle is that today’s wine from Alaverdi is the same as it was a thousand years ago. We have a unique opportunity to come into contact with a time when wine itself carried the idea of mystery. No other wine can be the same as it was ten centuries ago. To reproduce such conditions, a laboratory is needed, which is the Alaverdi Monastery, where carnal time stops. Eternity is present here, where time changes, and therefore the laws of doing - according to God's calculation, and not according to the clock.
It turns out that it is possible to speak and perceive wine as a thousand years ago, but only in certain places, one of which is the Alaverdi Monastery, where the basic law of winemaking is implemented - sincerity and honesty, where every glass of wine is filled with a light drink. Of course, I would especially like to note the uniqueness of white wine, which has a power that, perhaps, we can only see here.
With all due respect to good and even great wines, you can only find such strength and goodness in wine in Alaverdi. And although we can talk about why and how this happens, it is still impossible without a miracle. The spectrum and strength in which it opens up here... It’s hard to imagine that this is even possible! All the white wines of the monastery have soul, are in development, have strength and growth. If you want to open the code of wine, wine not just as a product, but as a gene that opens the power of space, then you should join the mystery of Alaverdi.
History of the monastery
There are places on Earth that seem to accumulate strength and power invisible to us, where intuitively we feel awakened, more elevated and alive. Kakheti, namely a small region of the Alazani Valley, became such an amazing “cluster” on Georgian soil. It was here that a large number of places associated with spirituality, faith, service and purification were concentrated. Ikalto Monastery (founded in the 6th century), churches near the ruined Bakhtrioni fortress, Kvetera Temple (first half of the 10th century), Gremi Castle (16th century), Old and New Shuamta monasteries (Dzveli-Shuamta and Akhali-Shuamta, 5th century) and the 16th century, respectively) and, of course, the pearl of this place is the Alaverdi Temple!
Alaverdi (ალავერდი) is not just a building, an ancient monument or a legend - no! This is a unique phenomenon in our world, since this temple complex represents a certain pinnacle of the human spirit, the highest note in space, which sounded thanks to the faith of Joseph of Alaverdi (Ioseb Alaverdeli). Over the centuries, it has not lost its power, despite political, military, and cultural cataclysms. This note still sounds, being an invisible tuning fork for the people living in the temple, and allowing its guests to touch something great.
The “uniqueness” of the cathedral is manifested in many things: for centuries it was the highest temple in Georgia among the “Four Cathedrals” (50 m), this is the burial place of Joseph of Alaverdi himself, as well as Christian saints and martyrs, as well as persons of the royal Kakheti families . Here, ancient Christian service and the traditions of classical Georgian winemaking are uniquely intertwined. Today, the conduct of the affairs of the temple, service and work in the vineyards and in the wine cellar is carried out through the labors and prayers of only four monks. “With God’s love and help!” - this is what the brothers of the Alaverdi Temple say themselves.
Story
Alaverdi means “Alavan Valley” (Alva Khvardi). The temple became the center of the diocese at the beginning of the 11th century, when Kvirike III the Great, during whose reign Kakheti flourished, built a stone cathedral of incredible grandeur and beauty on the site of a wooden church. It replaced the original wooden structure erected by Joseph of Alaverdi, one of the twelve Assyrian fathers who came to the land of Georgia in the sixth century with the goal of bringing the word of God to people.
Joseph's biography is full of amazing facts: it is known that already in his youth he chose for himself the path of monasticism and service. Under the leadership of John of Zedazni, he arrived in a country unknown to himself - Georgia, where he received one of the regions for preaching - Kakheti. Joseph settled in the very center of the Alazani Valley, building a small monastery. From here he went to the villages to talk with local residents, explained to them the foundations of his faith, and talked about virtues and vices. Over time, rumors about Joseph began to spread more and more widely: about his wisdom and holiness, that wild animals did not touch him (on the contrary, they became meek in his presence and were drawn to him), that both nobles and rich people joined this hermit , and commoners, abandoning their former lives.
Over time, people began to come to Joseph’s monastery more and more often, some remained near him. Quite soon a monastery arose and a temple was erected in honor of St. George (Tsminda Georgi).
Over its long history, the cathedral has experienced a lot: raids and conquests, earthquakes and destruction at the hands of men. For a short time it became a fortress, a prison and even a cowshed, but, like a phoenix, time after time it was cleansed and reborn again.
The importance of Alaverdi as the center of the diocese in the past is evidenced by the fact that until the 13th century the head of the cathedral headed the entire Kakheti church, and without his advice the Kakheti king did not make a single political, military or social decision.
At a certain period, in addition to its religious significance, the monastery also performed a cultural and educational function: in the 16th-18th centuries, famous Georgian writers and calligraphers wrote and copied books here, and there was an extensive library with manuscripts.
In the 17th-18th centuries, Alaverdi was a convent where representatives of the royal family took monastic vows and became nuns.
In 1828, after the annexation of Georgia to Russia, the autocephaly of the Georgian church was abolished, and the Alaverdi diocese was abolished. Over the next century it was restored several times, but in 1929, under Soviet rule, it was abolished again.
The revival of Alaverdi began relatively recently - in the 90s of the 20th century - thanks to the asceticism of several monks led by Amba David (from the Greek “abba” - father).
Today it is a functioning monastery and a whole complex consisting of the Church of St. George, a 16th-century refectory, a bell tower, an episcopal palace, residential monastic buildings, a winery and vineyards. The most important thing has been preserved here - the original architecture, frescoes and the atmosphere of the cathedral space.
Geometry of nature and human spirit
It must be said that the Alazani Valley itself is a beautiful creation of nature: it stretches for 150 km along the Alazani River, there is a very mild and healthy climate, the main Caucasian ridge protects these places from northern winds and cold, the right bank of the river is slightly raised and seems to be exposed to the sun.
The cathedral reflects the peace and grandeur of these places. Built in the 11th century, it still amazes with the harmony of its precise proportions. Its entire structure, following the domes, seems to be directed upward into the sky.
The walls inside the cathedral are not covered with anything, this allows you to study the features of construction and architecture. Many frescoes have also been preserved inside. They date back to different centuries, some of them were plastered more than once, thus representing several layers. In the altar there are images of the Mother of God and John the Baptist; on the walls of the temple you can see images of the church fathers and apostles, inscriptions in ancient Georgian.
Another candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List is the Alaverdi Cathedral. This architectural structure is one of the largest ancient temples. Every year in September, those who want to celebrate Alaverdoba, a religious holiday in honor of Alaverdi Bishop Joseph, come to the walls of Alaverdi.
Myths and facts
In the 6th century, monk Joseph of Alaverdi, one of the founders of monasticism in Georgia, built the Church of St. George. (By the way, this is still the official name of the cathedral). Gradually, the Alaverdi Monastery arose around the temple.
At the beginning of the 11th century, King Kvirike III of Kakheti erected a cathedral on the site of the ancient church. In the Principality of Kakheti he was considered the most important, and the Alaverdi bishops occupied a high position in society.
Initially, Alaverdi was a monastery, but in the 17th-18th centuries it became a nunnery where nuns of the royal family lived.
The buildings were destroyed more than once by earthquakes (1530, 1668, 1742) and invaders: Iranian Shah Abbas I - 1614, Turkmen nomads - 17th century, Lezgins - at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries. However, numerous reconstructions did not significantly affect the appearance of the temple.
In addition to the religious one, the monastery also served a cultural and educational function: books were written and copied here in the 16th-18th centuries, and there was an extensive library where manuscripts were kept.
Nowadays Alaverdi acts like, and the morals there are very strict.
What to see
The monastic complex is surrounded by walls, inside there is the Cathedral of St. George, residential buildings and a wine storage.
The cathedral is a striking example of medieval Georgian architecture. In plan, it is a triconch - a cruciform, church-domed building, built of pebbles, lined with slabs of yellowish tuff.
The outside of the temple is decorated in places with ornamental carvings. The height of the building is about 50 m, the internal space with a height of 42 m is striking in its scale. The cathedral is the second tallest (after Sameba) and the tallest temple of the four “Great Cathedrals” (Oshki, Svetitskhoveli, Bagrati Temple, built in the 10th-11th centuries).
Interesting are the paintings and frescoes of the 11th, 15th, and 18th centuries, depicting saints and scenes from life, inscriptions in ancient Georgian, the tombs of the Kakheti kings, as well as the graves of St. Joseph of Alaverdi and the Great Martyr Ketevan.
On the territory of the monastery there are ruins of ancient buildings (refectory, baths, bell tower, 17th century), and near the monastery wine cellar, an impressive huge ancient kvevri, a jug for making wine, assembled from the rubble, is impressive.
