Georgia celebrates Svetitskhovloba, day of legendary cathedral

Orthodox Christians in Georgia are celebrating Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba, a celebration of Georgia’s ancient capital city and its legendary cathedral today.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, known as the burial site of Christ's mantle, is a Georgian Orthodox cathedral located in the historical town of Mtskheta, 20 km northwest of Tbilisi.

Each year on this day believers and guests traditionally visit Mtskheta.

Prime Minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtadze has also visited the Svetitskhoveli today.

“Svetitskhoveli has always been a symbol of faith and firmness of the Georgian nation. On the other hand, we have several important projects ongoing to preserve and develop the unique cultural heritage of Mtskheta,” he told journalists.

In Georgian "sveti" means "pillar" and "tskhoveli" means "life-giving" or "living", hence the name of the cathedral.

The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is the second largest church in the country and was built in the 11th Century by Georgian architect Arsukisdze, although the site itself is even older and dates back to the early 4th Century. It is surrounded by a number of legends associated primarily with early Christian traditions.

Svetitskhoveli is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other historical monuments of Mtskheta.