The majestic Bagrati Temple rises above Kutaisi on the top of the Ukimerioni Mountain above the Rioni River. It is one of the most interesting sights not only of Kutaisi, but also of the whole of Georgia. Bagrati Temple was founded by Tsar Bagrati III in 1003. For the 11th century, the construction of such a huge temple required high skill of builders.
Officially, the Bagrati Temple is called the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin, but everyone calls it "Bagrati". There is also a Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin in Tbilisi, but everyone calls it the Metekhi Temple. An ancient belfry has been preserved near Bagrati. At its foot there is an viewing point with a wonderful view of Kutaisi.
Tsar Bagrati III belonged to the royal Bagrationi dynasty, which ruled in Georgia for several centuries. The founder of the Bagrationi dynasty is considered to be Guram I, who lived in the 6th century, but then representatives of this dynasty had a princely title and obeyed the Byzantine rulers. Bagrati III united three Georgian principalities and was the first to assume the royal title. From that moment, the dynasty became the Royal House of Kartli.
The Bagrati Temple is built in the form of a cross with high arches. In 1089, the coronation of Tsar David IV the Builder, who began the Golden Age of the Georgian Tsardom, was held in the Bagrati Temple. In 1125, 10 kilometers from the Bagrati Temple, Tsar David built the Gelati Monastery, which became a Shrine of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
For several centuries, the Bagrati Temple was one of the largest cathedrals in Georgia. During the invasion of the Ottoman army, the Turks arranged a powder magazine in the Bagrati Temple. In 1691, gunpowder exploded, significantly damaging the roof of the cathedral. The dome of the temple collapsed.
Russian troops under the command of General Totleben stormed the Turkish fortifications in Kutaisi during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. Artillery fire further damaged the Bagrati temple, from which only the walls had been preserved by that time. After that, Bagrati was not restored, and by the 20th century only fragments of ruins remained from it.
In 2010, the Georgian authorities decided to restore the Bagrati Temple. It was restored in all its grandeur, although during the construction work UNESCO had complaints about the work.
