SAMTAVISI CROSS-DOMED CHURCH
48 Km from Tbilisi
11 th C
Samtavisi Cathedral built in 11th century is famous for its slender architecture and unique facade decorations. It stands out by richness of ornamentation, especially by stone carvings around windows, arches and corners. Unfortunately, there are only a few frescoes preserved within. The church we see today was built on the site, where originally a monastery complex founded by one of Thirteen Syrian monks (6th century) stood.
KINTSVISI CROSS-DOMED CHURCH
126 Km from Tbilisi
13 th C
Kintsvisi is located on a picturesque wooded mountain slope. The domed cross-planed church of St. Nicolas is adorned with remarkable mural paintings portraying King Giorgi III, Queen Tamar and her son Lasha-Giorgi. Among these murals especially impressive is "The Angel of Kintsvisi". Nearby the main church, on the bank of the Kintsvura river stands the only surviving part of the single-nave basilica dedicated to the Virgin. This small church has suffered greatly from frequent floods. The artistic technique and style of the murals in the remaining part of the main apse, resemble those of the main church of St. Nicholas.
ATENI SIONI CROSS-DOMED CHURCH
78 Km from Tbilisi
7 th C
Ateni Sioni is a masterpiece of monumental architectural art. It stands on a cliff side on the outskirts of a small village. The church dates back to the first half of the 7th century. It is built of carved greenish-grey sandstone which turns red when it gets old. It has two entrances: southern and northern ones. The walls of the church display unique Georgian writings of different periods. The murals, completed in the second half of the 11th century, follow the old Georgian traditional iconographical style. Most of the splendid frescoes are still visible today.
