Metekhi Temple is the oldest Christian church in Tbilisi. It was founded in the 5th century, but the 13th century temple has survived to this day. It is located on a rock rising on the right bank of the Kura River. On the left bank, opposite the Metekhi Temple, there is the rocky hill of Sulalaki, where the ancient citadel – Fortress of Narikala rises.
Ancient Tbilisi began to develop as the capital from the 5th century on the site where the Metekhi Temple is now located. Until the 5th century, the capital of Georgia was the city of Mtskheta. There, Tsar Merian III was one of the first in the world, who in 326 declared Christianity the state religion. There are also the oldest Christian churches in Georgia: the Sveti Tskhoveli Temple and the Jvari Monastery.
King Vakhtang I Gorgasal in 458 decided to move the capital from Mtskheta to Tbilisi. He restored the ancient Persian fortress of Narikala, and built his palace on the opposite shore. Here he founded the first temple of Tbilisi.
Officially, the first temple on the rock, on the banks of the Kura River, is called the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin, but everyone calls it the Metekhi Temple. The word comes from the Greek "Metochus", which means "the location of the church". The name Metekhi was given not only to the temple, but also to the entire historical center of Tbilisi on the right bank of the Kura.
The relics of Saint Shushanik have been located in the Metekhi Temple since the 5th century. She is one of the first saints canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church. Shushanik was the wife of Varsken, the ruler of one of the principalities in Georgia. He fought against King Vakhtang I Gorgasal and for this he entered into an alliance with the Persian Shah Peroz I. He renounced Christianity and promised to convert Georgia to Zoroastrianism. Shushanik retired to her cell and prayed all the time. Varasken demanded that she renounce Christianity and tortured her, but she continued to pray. Then Varasken imprisoned her, where Shushanik died in 475. However, Shushanik`s persistence attracted followers, and Varasken failed to convert Georgia to Zoroastrianism.
Next to the temple of Metekhi was the royal palace, surrounded by a fortress wall. In 1226 Georgia experienced the invasion of Mongol-Tatar troops. They conquered the country. The royal palace was destroyed. The temple was also badly damaged. Tsar Demeter II restored it in 1289, since then the appearance of the Metekhi Temple has remained unchanged to this day.
The Metekhi Temple has a cross-domed structure, traditional for Georgian Orthodox churches. Its exterior and interior are very ascetic. Bas-reliefs of the 12th century have been preserved on the outer walls.
In 1817, the Russian governor in the Caucasus, General Ermolov, began the Caucasian War, which lasted for more than 40 years. In 1819, Ermolov ordered to demolish the royal palace in Metekhi and build a prison in its place. This prison was called Metekh Castle. The prison was located on this site until 1937, when Lavrenty Beria, who was the head of the Tbilisi City Committee in those years, ordered the barracks to be demolished.
With the same order, he wanted to destroy the Metekhi temple, but the artist Dmitry Shevardnadze openly began to fight against it. He was soon arrested and shot, but the Metekhi Temple was not touched. A museum was organized there, and then a theater. In 1988, the Metekhi Temple was returned to the church, and consecrated in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin.
One of the best viewing platforms in Tbilisi is located near the Metekhi Temple. It offers a beautiful view of Rike Park, Narikala Fortress, and the entire Old Town of Tbilisi. In 1967, a monument to Georgian Tsar Vakhtang I Gorgasal, the founder of Tbilisi, was erected here. The monument was made by the famous Georgian sculptor Elguji Amashukeli.
