Georgia celebrates day of legendary Svetitskhoveli cathedral in former capital Mtskheta
Svetitskhoveli cathedral is known as the burial site of the Christ’s mantle. Photo: 1TV.
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Today Georgia is celebrating the day of Georgia’s ancient capital city Mtskheta and its legendary cathedral, Svetitskhoveli.
The cathedral, which allegedly houses 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 hundreds of believers and guests traditionally visit Mtskheta and the cathedral located there.
In Georgian "sveti" means "pillar" and "tskhoveli" means "life-giving" or "living", hence the name of the cathedral.
The original church at the side of the cathedral was built in the 4th century A.D. Photo: Tbilisi City Hall press office.
The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is the second largest church in the country [after the Holy Trinity Cathedral] and was built in the 11th century by Georgian architect Arsukisdze, although the site itself is older and dates back to the early 4th century [the original church was built in the 4th century A.D.].
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.
Orthodox Christians in Georgia are celebrating Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba, a celebration of Georgia’s ancient capital city and its legendary cathedral today.
Some of Georgia's most cherished monuments will be protected in case of conflict after a special meeting of UNESCO granted three sites in the country's ancient capital Mtskheta the status of 'enhanced protection'.
Historical monuments of Georgia's ancient capital Mtskheta are no longer recognised as being in danger of deterioration by UNESCO.
Clerics of the sixth-century Georgian Jvari Monastery say in a statement that the closure of the site for the parish and tourists was a “radical step” by them to attract public attention.
The US Embassy will allocate $100,000 for the first stage of conservation work at Georgian 6th century Jvari monastery in Mtskheta. The project is intended to cover the first phase of the conservation cycle by carrying out a comprehensive study, to identify, classify, and map the extent of damage and deterioration of the façade, the embassy says.
Orthodox Christians in Georgia are celebrating the Day of Virgin Mary, which is otherwise known as the Dormition of the Mother of God today. In Georgia, Mary is referred to as Mariami and the holiday is known as Mariamoba.
Today Georgia is marking the day of its ancient capital Mtskheta and the Svetitskhoveli cathedral, a UNESCO world heritage monument in the city.