"Svetitskhoveli Cathedral" Mts'khet'a Things to Do Tip by jankenpon

Svetitskhoveli means “life giving pillar” which the Cathedral is built on top of - there is no literal pillar. Georgian kings tombs, 11th century AD construction, Robe of Christ buried by Elias (Jew), 5ton Bell to heavy for tower still under renovation - moved elsewhere. You won't be able to see the Georgian kings tombs if you go on a Sunday, but you will see an interesting service and get to listen to a beautiful choir. The frescoes inside are all over the walls and ceilings and are amazing. The "icons" are also interesting, there is one depicting St Nino with the Life Giving Pillar. The church is said to be of very sound construction, surviving a large earthquake in the area. The builder of the church was said to have loved a girl that the king of his time had his eye on for marriage, she is said to have sought refuge in Jvari where she commited suicide by throwing herself off the cliffs because she could not be with the man she loved. The king punished the builder for her suicide by cutting off his right arm...there is a poem in Georgian about the builder saying he scraped himself up from nothing, built the strongest church in Georgia, only to have his arm cut off for his efforts. This website has a lot of info too http://b.sisauri.tripod.com/lit/mtskheta/mtskheta2.html

Address: Central Mst'khet'a