The Tbilisi Sioni Cathedral at night.

The "Sioni" Cathedral of the Dormition is a Georgian Orthodox Cathedral in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. It is commonly known as the "Tbilisi Sioni" to distinguish it from several other churches across Georgia bearing the name Sioni. According to Catholic theology and the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, the body of Mary, the mother of Jesus, venerated by these denominations as the Blessed Virgin Mary or Theotokos, respectively, was taken into Heaven along with her soul after her death. ... The Georgian Orthodox Church (full title Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church, or in the Georgian language საქართველოს მართლმადიდებელი სამოციქულო ეკლესია Saqartvelos Samotsiqulo Avtokepaluri Martlmadidebeli Eklesia) is one of the worlds most ancient Christian Churches, and tradition traces its origins to the mission of Apostle Andrew in the 1st century. ... A cathedral is a Christian church building, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Anglican, Catholic and some Lutheran churches, which serves as the central church of a diocese, and thus as a bishops seat. ... Tbilisi (Georgian თბილისი) is the capital city of the country of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura (Mtkvari) river, at . ...

Located in the old part of the city, the Sioni Cathedral was initially built in the 6th-7th centuries. Since then, it has been destroyed by foreign invaders and reconstructed by Georgians several times. The current church is based on a 13th-century version with some changes from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The Sioni church had been the main Georgian Orthodox Cathedral as the seat of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia until the Holy Trinity Cathedral was consecrated in 2004. His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia is the head of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Architecture

A Neoclassic bell tower, 1812.

The Tbilisi Sioni church is situated in historic Sionis Kucha (Sioni Street) in downtown Tbilisi, with its eastern façade fronting the Right Embankment of the Mtkvari River. Kura (Georgian Mtkvari, Azerbaijani Kür) is a river in the Caucasus Mountains. ...

The cathedral is a typical example of medieval Georgian church architecture with projecting polygonal apses in the east façade. The yellow tuff from which the cathedral was built comes from Bolnisi, a town southwest of Tbilisi. North of the cathedral, within the courtyard, is a three-story bell tower dating from 1425. Largely destroyed by the Persians in 1795, it was restored to its present condition in 1939. Just across the street stands the other, also the three-story bell tower which is of particular architectural interest. Built in 1812 in commemoration of the Imperial Russian victory over Ottoman Turkey, it is one of the oldest examples of Russian Neoclassical architecture in South Caucasus. Religious architecture is the style and requirements followed for building religious buildings. ... This article is about an architectural feature; for the astronomical term see apsis. ... Welded tuff at Golden Gate in Yellowstone National Park Tuff (from the Italian tufo and pronounced tuf) is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. ... Bolnisi is a city in the country of Georgia. ... Events Foundation of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Births John II, Duke of Lorraine (died 1470) Edmund Sutton, English nobleman (died 1483) Deaths January 18 - Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, English politician (born 1391) March 17 - Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Japanese shogun (born 1407) May 24 - Murdoch Stewart, 2nd Duke of... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start... Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812 was one of the several wars fought between Imperial Russia and Ottoman Empire War broke out in 1806, when Turkey deposed the russophile governors of its vassal states Moldavia and Walachia. ... Lazienkowski Palace in Warsaw The neoclassical movement that produced Neoclassical architecture began in the mid-18th century, as a reaction against both the surviving Baroque and Rococo styles, and as a desire to return to the perceived purity of the arts of Rome, the more vague perception (ideal) of Ancient... South Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan South Caucasus (also referred sometimes as Transcaucasus) is a name to the transitional region between Europe and Asia extending from the Greater Caucasus to the Turkish and Iranian borders, between the Black and Caspian seas. ...

History

Following a medieval Georgian tradition of naming churches after particular places in the Holy Land, the cathedral bears the name of Mount Zion at Jerusalem. The phrase The Holy Land (Arabic الأرض المقدسة, al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah; Hebrew ארץ הקודש: Standard Hebrew Éreẓ haQodeš, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÉreṣ haqQāḏēš; Latin Terra Sancta) generally refers to Israel, otherwise known as Palestine (sometimes including Jordan, Syria and parts of Egypt). ... Mount Zion may refer to one of several places: Mount Zion, Illinois Mount Zion, Georgia Mount Zion, Wisconsin Mount Zion, Taiwan Mount Zion, Jamaica For the Biblical and historical use of the name, see Zion. ... Jerusalem (; Hebrew: Yerushalayim; Arabic: al-Quds; Greek Ιεροσόλυμα) is an ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea at an elevation of 650-840 meters. ...

According to medieval Georgian annals, the construction of the original church on this site was initiated by Guaram, the presiding prince of Iberia (Kartli), in circa 575 and completed by his successor Adarnase in circa 639. This church was completely destroyed by Arabs, and was subsequently built de novo. The basic elements of the existing structure date to the 13th century. Although severely damaged, the cathedral survived the invasions by Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, Timur, Persians and Turks. In 1657, the Metropolitan of Tbilisi, Elise Saginashvili, substantially restored the cupola and added the southern chapel. The regent of Kartli, batonishvili (prince) Vakhtang, carried out restorations of the cupola and cathedral walls in 1710. The cathedral’s interior took a different look between 1850 and 1860 when the Russian artist and general Knyaz Grigory Gagarin (1810 – 1893) composed an interesting series of the murals, though the older Georgian frescoes were lost in the process. A portion of the murals on the western wall were executed by the Georgian artist Levan Tsutskiridze in the 20th century. Guaram I was a presiding prince and kourapalates of Iberia/Kartli for the Byzantine Emperor from 588 to c. ... Ancient countries of Caucasus: Armenia, Iberia, Colchis and Albania Iberia was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli (4th century BC-5th century AD) corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia. ... Kartli is the largest and most populated province of Eastern Georgia. ... Events June 2 - Benedict succeeds John III as Pope The Kingdom of East Anglia founded by the Angle groups North Folk and South Folk, naming the places of Norfolk and Suffolk, respectively. ... Events Dagobert I succeeded by Clovis II as king of the Franks in Neustria and Burgundy During the Islamic conquest of Persia, Susa is destroyed Births Deaths Pippin I of Landen, father of Gertrude of Nivelles Categories: 639 ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Jelal ad-Din Mingburnu (also جلال الدين منكبرتي Jalāl al-DÄ«n MenguberdÄ« or Mankburny) was the last ruler of the Khwarezmid Empire. ... Statue of Timur in Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan Timur (Chagatai Turkish: تیمور, iron) (also known as Temur, Taimur, Timur Lenk, Timur-i Leng, Temur-e Lang, Tamerlane, Tamburlaine, and Aqsaq Timur which translates to Timur the Lame, as he was lame after sustaining an injury to the leg as a child) (1336–February... Events January 8 - Miles Sindercombe, would-be-assassin of Oliver Cromwell, and his group are captured in London February - Admiral Robert Blake defeats the Spanish West Indian Fleet in a battle over the seizure of Jamaica. ... When the word metropolitan (from the Greek metera = mother and polis = town) is used as an adjective, as in metropolitan bishop, metropolitan France, or metropolitan area it can mean: of or characteristic of a metropolis; see also metropolitan area, Metropolitan Police, Metropolitan Railway of or belonging to the home territories... Batonishvili (“a son of the lord” in Georgian) was a title of princes and princesses in medieval Georgia, e. ... Vakhtang VI Vakhtang VI (Georgian: ვახტანგ VI), also known as Vakhtang the Scholar and Vakhtang the Lawgiver, (September 15, 1675 – Astrakhan, March 26, 1737) was a wali of Kartli, eastern Georgia, as a nominal vassal to the Persian shah from 1716 to 1724. ... // Events April 10 - The worlds first copyright legislation became effective, Britains Statute of Anne Ongoing events Great Northern War (1700-1721) War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713) Births January 3 - Richard Gridley, American Revolutionary soldier (d. ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Kniaz’ or knyaz is a word found in some Slavic languages. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Fresco by Dionisius representing Saint Nicholas. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

The stone iconostasis dates to the 1850s. It replaced the wooden iconostasis burned during the Persian invasion in 1795. To the left of the altar is the venerated Grapevine cross which, according to a tradition, was forged by Saint Nino, a Cappadocian woman who preached Christianity in Georgia in the early 4th century. King Vakhtang III gave the reliquary itself in the early 14th century. 17th-century iconostasis of Prophet Elias church, Yaroslavl. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Look up Altar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Cappadocia in 188 BC In ancient geography, Cappadocia (Greek: Καππαδοκία; see also List of traditional Greek place names; Turkish Kapadokya) was an extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). ... Vakhtang III (ვახტანგ III in Georgian) (1276-1308), from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1302-1308. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ...

External links

• Department of Tourism and Resorts, Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia
• Georgian Cultural Heritage Information Center