Jvari Monastery
Jvari Monastery is an iconic symbol of Georgia, one of its most important historical and architectural monuments. The landmark stands on the peak of a mountain near Mtskheta, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The main church of Jvari was erected at the turn of the VI-VII centuries on a site revered by early Christians since the IV century, since the time of St. Nino. Small, but majestic and noble temple, as if growing out of a rocky massif and perfectly visible from all corners of Mtskheta, is a benchmark of Georgian temple architecture, the ancestor of domed temples of the country and a wonderful example of landscape architecture.
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Video: Jvari Monastery
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Highlights
The territory of the monastery complex includes the temple of Jvari, a small dilapidated church, its predecessor, and the ruins of medieval stone fortifications around the perimeter. The monks’ cells are located away from these ancient structures.
Jvari Temple is the main attraction of the complex. It is for the sake of it and stunning panoramas that open from the observation deck, the mountain peak is climbed by tourists all year round. “Jvari” means “cross” in Georgian, so the local monastery is often called the Monastery of the Cross, and the mountain itself – the Cross. The tradition dates back to the dawn of the spread of Christianity in Georgia, when a wooden cross was erected on the mountain plateau. With its vaults the temple of Jvari covers this legendary place.
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The famous mountain, at the foot of which the Aragvi and Kura rivers merge, is located 10 km from Mtskheta and 23 km from Tbilisi. Its summit offers impressive views of the Caucasus Mountains, Mtskheta with its ancient monuments, neighboring temples, picturesque valley and mountain gorges.
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History
According to tradition, the history of Jvari temple is associated with the names of Iberian king Mirian III and St. Nino, an enlightener who preached Christianity in Georgian lands in the 4th century. One of the legends says that in times immemorial a marvelous tree whose leaves and seeds had healing powers grew on a mountain peak near Mtskheta. The inhabitants of the city, who adopted Christianity, created three crosses from it. Then the governor Mirian, Nino and the townspeople, guided by God’s sign, erected one of them on a rock in the place to which the saint pointed.
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Historians believe that the cross was erected in the 30s of the IV century on the site of a pagan sanctuary. It was believed that it possessed miraculous powers, so here the flow of Christians from different regions of the Caucasus did not dry up. It is known that in the period between 545 and 586 years on the top of the mountain already stood a small temple, which today is called the Small Church of the Holy Cross or the Small Cross. Its ruins can be seen to the north of the main temple, dated by Georgian historians to 587-605, and by Armenian historians to 605-642. Discrepancies in the estimates are related to the nature of the architectural features of the site and historical circumstances.
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In 591 the territory of modern Georgia was divided between Persia and Byzantium. Tbilisi went to the Persians, and Mtskheta came under Byzantine control along with part of Armenia. Prior to this period, temples in the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Syria were built mainly in the form of basilicas, but already at the end of the VI century in Byzantine-controlled lands architects began to use domed ceilings and form a whole interior of churches.
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At the turn of the VI-VII centuries, the Avan temple was erected in Yerevan, which became the first domed temple in Transcaucasia. Since Mtskheta was subordinate to the Avan diocese, and the Jvari temple largely copied the now half-destroyed Avan church, it is commonly believed in Armenia that the Georgian landmark was created by Armenian craftsmen. Armenians believe that the author of the project of Jvari temple could have been Armenian architect Todosak (Todos), and Georgians believe that the architect was probably their compatriot Mikel Tkheli. In any case, the church of Jvari became a symbol of medieval Georgia and a standard in the architecture of that period: a number of domed temples were built on its example in the Caucasus.
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In 736, Arab claims to the lands of modern Georgia culminated in the establishment of the Emirate of Tbilisi, which formally existed until 1122. It is not known whether the temple of Jvari served as a mosque at the time of peaceful coexistence of the Christian population and Muslim rulers. In any case, no Arabic inscriptions were found on its walls.
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In the 10th century, the Arabs, trying to strengthen their weakening power in the Caucasus, invaded Georgia. They raided Mtskheta, during which they set fire to Jvari and stole the legendary cross kept in the temple. However, the shrine was soon returned: the army began to suffer from a “stomach ailment”, and this was seen as punishment for the theft. The cross itself had several versions, one of the latest can be seen in a place of honor in the Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi. In 2009, a new cross was erected in the temple of Jvari, made of cypress and many times larger than the previous versions. The stone pedestal on which it stands is presumably older than the church itself, and may have been preserved since the time of St. Nino.
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In the late medieval period, the Jvari temple, restored after the Arab invasion, was fortified with a stone wall, partially preserved to this day. As for the monastery, no documentary evidence of its existence has been found, the names of abbots and monks are also unknown. Perhaps, it was called a monastery formally. The widespread legend that in his poem “Mtsyri” Mikhail Lermontov dedicated lines to the monastery of Jvari is debatable.
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Today it is an active male monastery, but the monks live far from the temple, on the territory of the former pioneer camp, given to them in 1992.
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Monastery complex
From Mtskheta to Jvari stretches an asphalted road, but it is more interesting to climb the mountain on an ancient path, traveled by pilgrims and ancient rulers. It is quite long and steep, but on the way, approximately in the middle of the route, you can rest in a grove, at the spring where St. Nino once prayed. The spring is said to have healing properties and helps childless women to find the joy of motherhood. A chapel and a caretaker’s hut have been erected near the spring, with a table and bench for travelers in the shade of the trees.
The temple of Jvari has two entrances – from the north and from the south. The first thing you notice upon entering here is a huge wooden cross rising on a stone base. The plan of the church is also a cross, which has an artistic and constructive purpose. It is stretched from east to west, and each of its shoulders is completed by semicircular apses. The two-tiered church is crowned by an 8-sided dome. Impressive is the noble exterior of Jvari with its facades of polished light pink, and in some places blackened by time sandstone.
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The eastern and southern facades are decorated with sculptural reliefs and ornaments. In addition, on the wall of the eastern apse can be seen bas-reliefs with the images of local rulers and representatives of the nobility. These artistic carvings represent the earliest examples of human images in Georgian sculpture. Jvari bas-reliefs are characterized by both plasticity inherited from the Greeks and some simplicity and symbolism.
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The inner space of the central hall, which has a square shape, looks majestic, thanks to its austerity, artistic integrity, amazing harmony and refinement. It seems that the architect thought out everything to the smallest detail. The main hall with a floor lined with stone blocks is connected by small niches with the corner rooms located between the arms of the conventional cross. The rooms on the right and left sides of the altar were intended for the priest and deacon, the other two served as prayer rooms for rulers and for women. Above the entrance to the latter is an inscription informing that the funds for its construction were donated by a certain Temestia, who wished mothers to be worshipped here.
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The mysterious lighting of Jvari is no less elaborate. Dusky light penetrates the interior space moderately, emphasizing the individual locations of the temple according to their significance. There are several windows in the dome drum and in the eastern apse, in other apse only one window each, and the niches leading to the corner rooms are not illuminated at all.
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The iconostasis of the temple is located right behind the cross. Here one can see the images made in the characteristic Georgian manner of icon painting.
To the north of the main temple of the complex is the Small Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It rises on an imposing pedestal and, despite its dilapidated state, still looks majestic and solemn. From the outside it is a simple building of rectangular shape. It is built of large, carefully hewn blocks of sandstone of greenish color. Here you can see apses with niches, arches, in one of the rooms are the remains of the original ancient mosaics.
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Practical information
Jvari Temple is open from 08:00 (in low season – from 09:00) to 22:00. There is no entrance fee. When visiting the temple you should dress appropriately, it is forbidden to enter with bare shoulders and knees. Women can take handkerchiefs, which are offered at the entrance to the church.
Travelers climb to the top of the mountain not only to visit Jvari Monastery, but also for landscape photos. The most recognizable shots in brochures, on websites advertising tourism in Georgia, are taken from the local observation deck. You can make excellent pictures of Mtskheta, the Caucasus Range, Mount Bagineti with the ancient settlement on its slope. The Kura Gorge, the Aragvi valley and the place where these rivers merge, mixing their waters, which are slightly different in light, are also clearly visible from here. The best photos are obtained in the morning. In the afternoon, Mtskheta will be against the sun and the eastern facade of Jvari will be in the shade.
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At the entrance to the temple, local merchants sell fresh fruit, souvenirs, small Georgian utensils. They also sell various accessories, elements of clothing in the national style.
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How to get there
To get to Jvari Monastery from Tbilisi on your own, you must first drive to Mtskheta. You can take a cab, the trip from the historical center of the capital to Mtskheta will take about half an hour. The cost in season is about 100 GEL, in winter – a little less, you can bargain.
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An economical option is a shuttle bus or suburban train. Shuttle buses depart from the bus station at Didube metro station. Transportation runs every 20-30 minutes from 08:00 to 20:00. Travel time is about 40 minutes and the cost of the trip is 3 GEL. By electric train you can get from Tbilisi to Mtskheta in 25 minutes. It departs from the central railway station, you need to check the schedule. The ticket will cost 1 GEL.
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If traveling from Tbilisi by minibus or cab, you can ask the driver to stop on the highway at the Cross Mountain and go up to the monastery. It will take about 20 minutes.
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A river separates Mtskheta from the hill where Jvari is located. It will take two or three hours to get to the attraction on foot, and the city is not connected with the Cross Mountain by direct flight transportation. Usually tourists use the services of cab drivers, you can take a car in the center of Mtskheta. For a trip to the temple and back cab drivers ask 25-30 GEL. In high season the price can go up to 40 GEL. Cab drivers are usually ready to wait for you to see the attraction for up to an hour.
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In Tbilisi, you can join a group tour to Mtskheta, during which it is suggested to visit Jvari Monastery. The tour starts at the Avlabari metro station. It costs from 70 GEL (inclusive of transportation and guide).
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