Apartment 54 m² - street Luka Asatiani, Batumi

Not far from Kutaisi, the ancient capital of Western Georgia, is the ancient Gelati complex, which was the family tomb of the ruling Bagrat dynasty. Today & mdash; these are three temples: the Nativity Cathedral, the temples of St. George and St. Nicholas.

The largest building in this complex & mdash; Nativity Cathedral. & Nbsp; He & mdash; the only one that has survived to this day, and has survived all the cataclysms since the XII century. During the reign of Queen Tamara, Gelati was the largest spiritual center of Georgia. And the construction of the cathedral began during the life of her great-grandfather, the famous David the Builder. Here, at the south gate of the temple, King David was buried, right at the aisle, so that not a single foot stepped into the temple without passing over his chest. That is what King David bequeathed, ordering his funeral during his lifetime. He wanted the people, entering the temple, to necessarily pave the way to the Lord through himself, i.e. after his death, he became like a guide to God. Only a stone slab to the full height of the great ruler notifies who is lying under it: & laquo; This is my peace forever & raquo ;.

In addition to David himself, other representatives of the Bagratins found peace here: Bagrat III, his wife Elena and their son George III, etc. Only the whereabouts of the tomb of Queen Tamara is still a mystery. Frescoes on the church theme and the ruling dynasty frame the walls of the cathedral.

The second temple in Gelati & mdash; Temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, was built during the reign of Queen Tamara. The building itself is amazing. For some reason, the temple was raised above the ground by almost one floor, leaving a passage under the arches. Although the temple is small and compact, everything necessary inherent in the Orthodox cathedral fit in this amazing structure.

The Church of St. George was built much later, however, the exact dates of construction do not exist. Historians suggest that the third building joined the others in the middle of the XIII century. In the documents that have survived to this day, nothing is mentioned about the construction. Although it is necessary to pay tribute to the architects, the temple turned out to be completely different from the previous two.

Particular attention is paid to the bell tower. Its appearance dates from the second half of the XIII century at about the same period as the construction of the church of St. George. It was built under the tower, high with semicircular arches resembling the temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. A very interesting building, which is completely independent, but completely located in a composition with three temples.

Two kilometers from the Gelat complex is located the no less famous Motsamet Monastery. Of course, it is not as large as Gelati, but you should also watch it as part of a tourist tour. The monastery was also founded in the 13th century, although it acquired its final form during the reign of Bagrat III. Unfortunately, the ancient building was partially destroyed in the early twenties, when the persecution of the church intensified, but something was saved, something was restored, and today Motsameta has become one of the most visited places by tourists. Following a steep path, not far from the monastery, you can relax on the banks of a mountain river, breathing in the life-giving aroma of nature.