Mtskheta is located at the confluence of the two main Georgian rivers Aragvi and Kura, in 25 kilometers of Tbilisi, capital of Georgia . Today it has about 10 thousand inhabitants, but the cultural and historical influence of Mtskheta is huge. Here is the main Shrine of the Georgian state Svetitskhoveli Temple. On the mountain above the city stands the ancient monastery of Jvari, built in the 6th century.
According to one legend, Mtskheta was founded in the 5th century BC by king Mtskhetos, the son of king Kartlos, who is called the ancestor of the Georgian people. According to another legend, the foundation of Mtskheta generally dates back to Biblical times. The founder of the city is called Meskhet, who was a descendant of Noah, whose Ark landed in the mountains of Ararat. Anyway, Mtskheta is definitely the oldest city in Georgia
Mtskheta is home to the main Christian shrines of Georgia. In 319, the Holy equal-to-the-apostles Nina came to Mtskheta, who persuaded king Mirian III to convert to Christianity. He appealed to king Constantine the Great to send a Bishop from Constantinople to baptize Georgia. Thus, ancient Iberia became the second country after Armenia to declare Christianity the state religion. In the 4th century, the Svetitskhoveli Church. This name means "Life-Giving Pillar".
During your trip to Mtskheta, you should definitely visit the Jvari monastery, which is located on the top of a mountain that rises above the city. According to legend, after the baptism of Georgia, Saint Nina placed a cross made of grape tree on the edge of the mountain, and in 590 a temple was built on this place. It is built in the form of a tetraconch with an altar in the center. The altar is located on the very spot where the cross of Saint Nina once stood. The Jvari temple has remained unchanged since the 6th century.
