Bagrati Cathedral, Gelaty Monastery, Motsameta Monastery from Kutaisi

The Cathedral of the Dormition, or the Kutaisi Cathedral, more commonly known as Bagrati Cathedral, is the 11th-century cathedral church in the city of Kutaisi, the region ofImereti, Georgia. The cathedral, rebuilt officially on September 16, 2012 after heavy damage ages ago, served as a masterpiece in the history of modern and medieval Georgian architecture. A distinct landmark in the scenery of central Kutaisi, the cathedral rests upon the top of Uk’imerioni Hill. It was built in the early years of the 11th century, during the reign of King Bagrat III, due to which it was called "Bagrati", i.e., Bagrat’s cathedral. An inscription on the north wall reveals that the floor was laid in "chronicon 223", i.e., 1003. In 1692, it was devastated in an explosion by Ottoman troops who had invaded the Kingdom of Imereti. The incident caused the cupola and ceiling to collapse. Conservation and restoration works, as well as archeological studies, began in 1952. In 1994 the Bagrati Cathedral, together with the Gelati Monastery, was included in UNESCO's World Heritage Site list as a single entity. In 2001, ownership of the cathedral was transferred from the Georgian state to the Georgian Orthodox Church. It is now of limited use for worship services, but attracts many pilgrims and tourists. It is also frequently used as a symbol of the whole city of Kutaisi, being one of its main tourist attractions.

This perfectly restored outstanding monument of Georgian architecture was the centre of spiritual and scientific life of the Middle Ages, the tomb of Georgian kings, the cult place for pilgrims. It is located 14 km from the city of Kutaisi and is under UNESCO protection as a site of cultural and historical legacy. In fact, Gelati is a rich historical architectural complex comprising the ancient monastery, the bell tower, the church and the academy set up in 1106 by the great king of Georgia David the Builder. Thus, Gelati was not only the spiritual centre of the country but also the largest centre of culture, history, and science. David the Builder, who wanted to create a large educational centre in his country, gathered the best Georgian scientists in the academy. In Gelati there was a big and rich library, the teachers and scientists in the academy were the most educated people of the time. The main structure of the complex is the church of Assumption of the Virgin. This temple keeps well known Gelatian mosaics and frescos dated the 12th – 18th centuries. The most valuable are the paintings with the images of the Holy Mother of God. On the northern wall of the temple, there is a fresco with the image of David the Builder. Beside those Gelati complex includes St. George the Victory-Bearer cross-dome church (the 13th century) which is a smaller replica of the main Gelati temple. The church has 16th- century frescos. The two-level St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker church is also part of the complex. … Here is the short history of Gelati. From the 12th to the 14th centuries, the monastery was the property of the King's house. King David granted it enormous grounds and generous treasures – the trophies of the victorious wars. The monastery was the place where such religious relics of entire Christian world as Khakhul icon of Divine Mother and the Atskuri icon of Divine Mother along with ancient manuscripts and many other relics were kept. King David ordered to arrange a tomb for the representatives of imperial family in the monastery. Nearly all the kings of united Georgia are buried there: Demetre I, George III and presumably Queen Tamara. In his testament David the Builder ordered to bury him in such a way, that everyone entering the tomb would step on his grave. The legend says that it was how the king wanted to be punished for his sin of arrogance. Now king’s body is resting under the southern gate of the temple and everyone who enters the temple has no other choice but stepping on his tomb. There is also the tomb of Imeretian kings since after the disintegration of the united state the monastery was in their possession. In 1510 Gelati was burnt by Turkish aggressors. After that, the kings of Imeretia Bagrat III and George II thoroughly repaired the monastery. Afterwards the residence of the Katholikos was transferred from Bichvinta to Gelati in the second half of the 16th century (until the 19th century). In the 17th century, the monastery was renovated again. After Imeretian kingdom joined Russia, Gelati ceased to be the church possession and became a state property.

Motsameta Monastery is smaller and quieter than the one in Gelati, although its cliff-edge setting is more spectacular by far. It is located 6km out of Kutaisi, off the Gelati road. Take the turning marked by a photo of the church and follow this track for a couple of kilometres. This little monastery has a spectacular setting on a cliff-top promontory above a bend of the Tskhaltsitela River. Situated dizzily high above the ravine of the Tskhaltsitela River, the monastery offers awe-inspiring views of the river and the surrounding countryside from any number of buildings and points on the grounds. Extremely isolated and seldom visited by tourists, this place will give you an unadulterated taste of the monastic life. The church itself is on a site on which there had been a church and village since the fourth century. The name Motsameta is derived from the Georgian word for martyrdom. Two brothers, David and Constantine Mkheidze, were lords of this region in the eighth century. Sometime between 720 and 730, succumbing to a superior Arab force, they were captured and tortured for refusing to convert to Islam. They were thrown into the Rioni River with stones tied around their necks and their bodies washed up on the riverbank below the monastery. They were buried as martyrs in the crypt of the church, which was also destroyed by the Arabs at the time of the brothers' death.