Gurjaani Assumption of the Virgin Mary monastery is located near the village of Gurjaani, in the forest, in the Kakhtubani gorge, 2 km from the town of Gurjaani. The pundits of art have an opinion that it was built in VII century. The All Saints of Gurjaani is a complex architectural construction. Three types of building materials have been used to construct a cathedral: cobblestone, pumice stone and brick. This is the only two-dome church in Georgia. In XVII centiry cathedral was painted. In late Medieval centuries it was a burial site of big nobility of the families of Andronikashvili and Jorjadze. As a result of an invasion of Shah of Iran, Abbas I, the monastery life here ceased and was rivived only in 1822. In 1938 the All Saints was rehabilitated.
Historical fortified town of Kvetara in Kakheti is located in Akhmeta region, on the bank of river Ilto. Kvetara was one of the centers of the principality (later kingdom) of Kakheti. Kartlis Tskhovreba mentions it from mid-XI century, however according to Vakhushti Bagrationi, it should have been founded in almost VIII century. The archeological research proves that this version is true. Kvetara is surrounded by a solid fence constructed from cobblestone and broken stone the walls of which are reinforced by round and square towers. There is an Acropolis on the highest point of the south-east of the fortress in which there used to be a palace and a church. The cross-type church belongs to the first half of X century. It seems to have been a royal court church. The cathedral is unpretentious, without any decorations and ornaments and is roofed with blue tiles.
100 Sights of Georgia
Edited by Manana Baliashvili
Design and layout by
Irma Liparteliani
Elene Varamashvili
Translation by
Guram Abashidze
Images by N. Elizbarashvili, B. Kupatadze, G. Dvalashvili,
Agency of Protected Areas and Association “Nekresi”
Copyright © 2011. N. ElizbaraSvili, B. KupataZe
Copyright © 2011. Publishing House “Clio”
www.klio.ge