Jvari monastery is located on a mountain that rises above the ancient capital of Georgia, city Mtskheta. King Marian III declared Christianity the state religion in 326. According to legend, The Holy equal-to-the-apostles Nina then erected a Cross on the edge of the mountain. The word "Jvari" means "Cross".
The main temple of the Jvari monastery was built directly on the edge of the mountain in the period from 590 to 605. The temple is built in the form of a tetraconch. This design is typical of Byzantine temples of the early period. For Jvari, this construction is logical, since the tetraconch altar is located in the center. In Jvari, the altar of the temple is located on the spot where the Cross of Saint Nina stood. A wooden cross still stands in the center of the Jvari temple. It is visited by pilgrims from all over Georgia and other countries.
Architecturally, the Jvari Temple on the edge of the mountain looks very harmonious. Its walls are built in the form of a cross with an octagonal dome. Over the past centuries, Georgia has experienced many invasions of enemies, but Jvari has remained almost unchanged to this day. Previously, there was a monastery here, but now Jvari is an active temple of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Inside, the temple looks very modest and ascetic, but it looks exiting. Narrow windows let in a little light, so the interior is dim. There are no paintings on the walls or any other decorations. The small iconostasis is made of wood. Being inside in the semi-darkness of this temple, by candlelight, you really feel that this temple is almost 1.5 thousand years old.
Tourists from Russia, visiting the Jvari monastery, will certainly remember the lines of the poem "Mtsyri" by the famous Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov: "There was a monastery where the streams of Aragva and Kura made a noise, embracing like two sisters." This picture can be observed from the viewpoint of Jvari. The two largest rivers of Georgia merge here, and their waters of different colors at first flow without mixing. There is a monument to Mikhail Lermontov at the foot of Jvari mountain.
