Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is the spiritual heart of Georgia and the centre of Mtskheta. The present building was completed between 1010 and 1029 by the architect Arsukisdze, and for centuries it was one of the largest churches in Georgia. Tradition holds that the robe of Christ was brought here from Jerusalem by a Mtskheta Jew named Elioz and buried with his sister Sidonia, and that a great cedar grew from her grave. The name means 'life-giving pillar', after the column that stands on that spot.

Inside, look for the small stone chapel built as a copy of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the frescoes uncovered on the walls and pillars, and the graves of kings, including Vakhtang Gorgasali and Erekle II. The cathedral is an active church with services most days, and on Sundays and holidays it fills with worshippers. It stands inside an 18th-century defensive wall and is part of the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A wooden church stood here in the 4th century, built under King Mirian III after the conversion. In the 5th century King Vakhtang Gorgasali replaced it with a stone basilica, and the present cross-domed cathedral was built on the site between 1010 and 1029 under Catholicos Melkisedek I. It was damaged by invasions and earthquakes and repaired several times, notably in the 15th century. The fortified wall around it was built under King Erekle II in the 18th century.