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Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Georgian: სვეტიცხოვლის საკათედრო ტაძარი; literally, "the Living Pillar Cathedral") is a Georgian Orthodox cathedral located in the historical town of Mtskheta, Georgia, 20 km (12.5 miles) northwest of the nation's capital of Tbilisi. Image File history File links Sveti-tskhovelismall. ... Mtskheta is one of oldest cities of the republic of Georgia (in Kartli province of Eastern Georgia), near Tbilisi. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... Era Vulgaris redirects here. ... Mirian II (3rd century AD), Saint King Mirian was the king of Kartli (Iberia) in the Eastern Georgia. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 - 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Saint King Vakhtang I Gorgasali (440 â€“ 502) was the Georgian king (mepe) of Kartli (Iberia) in 452â€“502 who led a lengthy anti-Persian liberation war and founded Tbilisi, Georgiaâ€™s modern capital city. ... Events The Ly Dynasty in Vietnam is established (or 1009). ... Events Births July 2 - Caliph Al-Mustansir of Cairo (d. ... Giorgi I (Georgian: áƒ’áƒ˜áƒáƒ áƒ’áƒ˜ I) (998 or 1002 â€“ August 16, 1027), of the House of Bagrationi, was the king of Georgia from 1014 until his death in 1027. ... The Georgian Orthodox Church (full title Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church, or in the Georgian language áƒ¡áƒáƒ¥áƒáƒ áƒ—áƒ•áƒ”áƒšáƒáƒ¡ áƒ›áƒáƒ áƒ—áƒšáƒ›áƒáƒ“áƒ˜áƒ“áƒ”áƒ‘áƒ”áƒšáƒ˜ áƒ¡áƒáƒ›áƒáƒªáƒ˜áƒ¥áƒ£áƒšáƒ áƒ”áƒ™áƒšáƒ”áƒ¡áƒ˜áƒ 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 religious building for worship, specifically of a denomination with an episcopal hierarchy, such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican and some Lutheran churches, which serves as a bishops seat, and thus as the central church of a diocese. ... Mtskheta is one of oldest cities of the republic of Georgia (in Kartli province of Eastern Georgia), near Tbilisi. ... km redirects here. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... Coordinates: - Governing Mayor Giorgi Gigi Ugulava Area - City 372 kmÂ² (143. ...

Svetitskhoveli has long been the principal Georgian church and remains one of the most venerated places of worship to this day. It presently functions as the seat of the archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi, who is at the same time Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. ... His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia is the head of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church. ...

The current cathedral was built in the 11th century by the Georgian architect Arsukisdze, though the site itself is even older dating back to the early 4th century and is surrounded by a number of legends associated primarily with the early Christian traditions. As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ...

It is the second largest church building in the country, after the recently consecrated Tbilisi Sameba Cathedral, and is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other historical monuments of Mtskheta. The Tbilisi Holy Trinity Cathedral commonly known as Sameba (Georgian: for Trinity) is the main Georgian Orthodox cathedral, located in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State...

The legend of Svetitskhoveli

The original church was built in IV century A.D. during the reign of Mirian III of Kartli (Iberia). St. Nino is said to have chosen the confluence of the Mtkvari (Kura) and Aragvi rivers as the place of the first Georgian Church. St. ... Mirian II (3rd century AD), Saint King Mirian was the king of Kartli (Iberia) in the Eastern Georgia. ... Kartli is the largest and most populated province of Eastern Georgia. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kura (Georgian Mtkvari, Azerbaijani Kür) is a river in the Caucasus Mountains. ... Hydro-electric dam on the Aragvi The Aragvi meets the Mtkvari at Mtskheta Ananuri The Aragvi River is located in Georgia. ...

According to a legend, in the first century AD a Georgian Jew from Mtskheta named Elias was in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. Elias bought Jesus’ robe from a Roman soldier at Golgotha and brought it back to Georgia. Returning to his native city, he was met by his sister Sidonia who upon touching the robe immediately died from the emotions engendered by the sacred object. The robe could not be removed from her grasp, so she was buried with it. ^[1] The place where Sidonia is buried with Christ's robe is preserved in the Cathedral. Later, from her grave grew an enormous cedar tree. Ordering the cedar chopped down to build the church, St. Nino had seven columns made from it for the church’s foundation. The seventh column, however, had magical properties and rose by itself into the air. It returned to earth after St. Nino prayed the whole night. It was further said that from the magical seventh column a sacred liquid flowed that cured people of all diseases. In Georgian sveti means "column" and tskhoveli means "life-giving", hence the name of the cathedral. An icon portraying this event can be seen on the second column on the right-hand from the entrance. Reproduced widely throughout Georgia, it shows Sidonia with an angel lifting the column in heaven. Saint Nino is in the foreground: King Mirian and his wife, Queen Nana, are to the right and left. ^[2] Georgia officially adopted Christianity in 317. Hebrew ×™Ö°×¨×•Ö¼×©Ö¸××œÖ·×™Ö´× (Yerushalayim) (Standard) Yerushalayim or Yerushalaim Arabic commonly Ø§Ù„Ù‚Ù€ÙØ¯Ù’Ø³ (Al-Quds); officially in Israel Ø£ÙˆØ±Ø´Ù„ÙŠÙ… Ø§Ù„Ù‚Ø¯Ø³ (Urshalim-Al-Quds) Name Meaning Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: The Holiness Government City District Jerusalem Population 724,000 (2006) Jurisdiction 123,000 dunams (123 kmÂ²) Jerusalem (Hebrew: , YerushalÃ¡yim or Yerushalaim; Arabic: , al-Quds, the Holiness)[2... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Calvary (Golgotha) was the hill outside Jerusalem on which Jesus was crucified. ... Christ is the English translation of the Greek word (ChristÃ³s), which literally means The Anointed One. ... Species Cedrus deodara Cedrus libani var. ... Look up icon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Events Jin Yuan Di succeeds Jin Min Di; end of the western and beginning of the eastern Jin Dynasty King Marian II of Iberia declares Christianity the official state religion Births February _ Constantine II, Roman Emperor Deaths Categories: 317 ...

History

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, originally built in the 4th century, has been damaged several times during history, notably by the invasions of Arabs, Persians, and Timur Leng and latterly during Russian subjugation and the Soviet period. The building has also been damaged by earthquakes. The Arabs (Arabic: Ø¹Ø±Ø¨ ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named FÃ¢rsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Timur (Chagatai Turkish: ØªÛŒÙ…ÙˆØ±) (also known as Temur, Taimur, Timur Lenk, Timur i Leng, Tamerlane, Tamburlaine, or Taimur-e-Lang, which translates to Timur the Lame, as he was lame after sustaining an injury in battle) (1336â€“February 1405) was a great 14th century Turco-Mongol conqueror, ruler of the Timurid... Soviet redirects here. ... An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from the sudden release of stored energy in the Earths crust that creates seismic waves. ...

During the restoration of 1970-71 which was presided by V. Tsintsadze, the base of the basilica was found which was built in the late 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali after St. Nino’s original church. During the early years of Georgian church building, the basilica was the dominant type of the Georgian church architecture before the cross-dome style emerged. St. ... Saint King Vakhtang I Gorgasali (440 â€“ 502) was the Georgian king (mepe) of Kartli (Iberia) in 452â€“502 who led a lengthy anti-Persian liberation war and founded Tbilisi, Georgiaâ€™s modern capital city. ...

In the 11th century the present Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was built (from 1010 to 1029) in the Cross-Dome style by the architect Arsukidze, at the invitation of the Catholicon Melkisedek of Georgia. The king of Georgia for that time was Giorgi II (George II).

The cathedral is surrounded by a wall, built of stone and brick during the reign of King Erekle II (Heraclius) in 1787. The top storey was designed for military purposes and has gun emplacements. The entrance to the Cathedral from the wall is located to the south. The wall has eight towers: six of them are cylindrical and two of them are square. Archaeological expeditions in 1963 found the house of Patriarch of the 11th century at the southern part of the wall. Inside the church yard, the remains of the two-story castle of Patriarch Anton II were found. Erekle II (aka Irakli) (1720-1798), Georgian king of the Bagrationi dynasty, ruled Kingdom of Kakheti in 1744-1762 and Kartl-Kakheti in 1762-1798. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Architecture

Design and construction of modern Svetitskhoveli

Svetitskhoveli Basilica

The base of the three-storey basilica, supposed to have been built by Vakhtang Gorgasali after St.Nino's original church, has been found by archaeologists during the restoration of 1970-71 . St. ... Saint King Vakhtang I Gorgasali (440 â€“ 502) was the Georgian king (mepe) of Kartli (Iberia) in 452â€“502 who led a lengthy anti-Persian liberation war and founded Tbilisi, Georgiaâ€™s modern capital city. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Modern Cross-Dome Svetitskhoveli

The architecture of the present Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, which dates from around 1020, is based on the cross-dome style of church architecture, which emerged in Georgia in the early Middle Ages and became the principle style after the political unification of Georgia by Bagrat III (978-1014). The characteristic of this style is that the dome is placed across all four sides of church. The structure of the church is intended to ensure good acoustics. The dome of Svetitskhoveli was reconstructed several times over the centuries to keep the church in good condition. Bagrat III (ca. ...

The basic stone used for the Cathedral is a sandy yellow with trimmings, while around the apse window a red stone is used. The green stone used in the drum of the cupola is from the 17th century. The curved blind arcading throughout is unaltered from the 11th century.

A large window occupies most of the western top side of the church. The decoration shows the Christ sitting and two angels at the both sides. The original sculpture on the wall has not survived, but was restored several times, most recently in the 19th century.

The architect Arsukidze

A legend surrounds a relief sculpture on the external northern wall. This shows a right arm and hand holding a chisel - symbol of the stonemason – with an inscription reads:

An inscription on the east decade further attests to the fact that Arsukidze did not live to see his masterpiece finished (in 1029):

Constantine Gamsakhurdia's Georgian novel "The Hand of the Great Master" relates the legend, for which there is no documentary evidence, that a priest who had also been Arsukidze’s patron and teacher was so jealous of Arsukidze's success that he used his influence with the king to have the architect's right hand cut off. According to the novel, King George was also jealous of Arsukidze over his lover, the beautiful Shorena. Konstantine Gamsakhurdia (May 3, 1893 - July 17, 1975) was a classic of Georgian literature of the 20th century and famous public benefactor, Academician of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Ph. ...

Icons and Frescos

The interior walls are painted with frescoes, most of which have not survived in their original state. In the 1830s, when Czar Nicholas I was scheduled to visit Mskheta, the frescoes were all whitewashed, although in the end the Czar never came. Today, after much careful restoration, some few remnants survive including fragments of a 13th-century Beast of the Apocalypse and figures of the Zodiac.^[3] Liberty Leading the People by EugÃ¨ne Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Nicholas I (Russian: ÐÐ¸ÐºÐ¾Ð»Ð°Ð¹ I ÐŸÐ°Ð²Ð»Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡, Nikolai I Pavlovich), July 6 (June 25, Old Style), 1796â€“March 2 (18 February Old Style), 1855), was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ...

The walls are decorated with many Christian Orthodox icons, most of which are not original (the originals being in the national museums of Georgia). The decoration of the church stonework also features carved grapes (as in many churches of Georgia), reflecting the country's ancient wine-making traditions. The large figure of Jesus at the altar was painted by Russian artist in the 19th century. The majority of the icons here date to the 20th century. Some are copies of older icons and frescoes from other churches throughout Georgia. Look up icon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Two bulls' heads are incorporated into the east façade, surviving from from the fifth-century church, testimony of the folk influence on Christian iconography in that early period.

Baptismal font

On the right side from the entrance of the Cathedral is a stone baptismal font dating from the fourth century. It is thought to have been used for the baptism of King Mirian and Queen Nana. Immediately behind the font is a reproduction of the relief of Arsukidze’s right hand and bevel found on the north facade.

Symbolic copy of the Chapel of Holy Sepulchre

On the south side there is a small stone church built into the Cathedral. This is a symbolic copy of the Chapel of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Built between the end of the 13th and the beginning the 14th centuries, it was erected here to mark Svetitskhoveli as the second most sacred place in the world (after the church of Jerusalem), thanks to Christ’s robe. In front of this stone chapel, the most westerly structure aligned with the columns between the aisle and the nave marks Sidonia’s grave. Remains of the original life-giving pillar are also here. It was built in the 17th century. Scenes of the lives of King Mirian and Queen Nana, and portraits of the first Christian Byzantine Emperor, Constantine I, and his mother Helene, were painted by G. Gulzhavarashvili at that time. Traces of the foundations of the fourth-century church have been found here. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, called Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis) by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church now within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. ... Hebrew ×™Ö°×¨×•Ö¼×©Ö¸××œÖ·×™Ö´× (Yerushalayim) (Standard) Yerushalayim or Yerushalaim Arabic commonly Ø§Ù„Ù‚Ù€ÙØ¯Ù’Ø³ (Al-Quds); officially in Israel Ø£ÙˆØ±Ø´Ù„ÙŠÙ… Ø§Ù„Ù‚Ø¯Ø³ (Urshalim-Al-Quds) Name Meaning Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: The Holiness Government City District Jerusalem Population 724,000 (2006) Jurisdiction 123,000 dunams (123 kmÂ²) Jerusalem (Hebrew: , YerushalÃ¡yim or Yerushalaim; Arabic: , al-Quds, the Holiness)[2... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... Bronze statue of Constantine I in York, England, near the spot where he was proclaimed Emperor in 306 For other uses, see Constantine I (disambiguation). ...

Throne of Catholicos-Patriarch

The second structure aligned with the columns of the southern aisle was also built in the 17th century as the throne of Catholicos Diasamidze. It no longer serves this function, as current tradition requires a throne for the Georgian patriarch to be in the centre of the church.

Burials in the Cathedral

Svetitskhoveli was not only the site of the coronation of the Georgian kings but also served as their burial place. Ten are known to have been buried here, although only three tombs have been found, all before the alter. The tomb of King Vakhtang Gorgasali can be identified by his the small candle fortress standing before it. King Erekle II's tomb is identifiable by the sword and shield upon it. His son, George XII was the last king of Georgia and his marble tomb is next to his father's. Also in front of the altar are tombs of various members of the Bagrationi royal family. The Bagratuni or Bagrationi or Bagratid royal dynasty (Armenian: Ô²Õ¡Õ£Ö€Õ¡Õ¿Õ¸Ö‚Õ¶ÕµÕ¡Ö Ô±Ö€Ö„Õ¡ÕµÕ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶ ÕÕ¸Õ°Õ´ or Bagratunyac Arqayakan Tohm, Georgian: áƒ‘áƒáƒ’áƒ áƒáƒ¢áƒ˜áƒáƒœáƒ—áƒ áƒ¡áƒáƒ›áƒ”áƒ¤áƒ áƒ“áƒ˜áƒœáƒáƒ¡áƒ¢áƒ˜áƒ or Bagrationta Samepo Dinastia) is a royal family whose ascendancy in Transcaucasia lasted for more than a millenium, since the 8th century until the early 19th century. ...

Images

Notes

^ Rosen, Roger. Georgia: A Sovereign Country of the Caucasus. Odyssey Publications: Hong Kong, 1999.
^ Rosen, Roger. Georgia: A Sovereign Country of the Caucasus. Odyssey Publications: Hong Kong, 1999.
^ The Treasures of Tbilisi, New York Times. September 30, 1990.

References

Abashidze, Irakli. Ed. Georgian Encyclopedia. Vol. IX. Tbilisi, Georgia: 1985.
Amiranashvili, Shalva. History of Georgian Art. Khelovneba: Tbilisi, Georgia: 1961.
Grigol Khantsteli. Chronicles of Georgia.
The Treasures of Tbilisi, New York Times. September 30, 1990.
Rosen, Roger. Georgia: A Sovereign Country of the Caucasus. Odyssey Publications: Hong Kong, 1999.

External links

Location of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral on the city map of Mtskheta
(Georgian) Svetitskhoveli - The Work of the Divine Endowment by Valerian Mamukelashvili

World Heritage Sites in Georgia

Monuments of Mtskheta: Svetitskhoveli, Jvari Monastery | Upper Svaneti | Bagrati Cathedral with Gelati Monastery Image File history File links Flag_of_Georgia. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... Mtskheta is one of oldest cities of the republic of Georgia (in Kartli province of Eastern Georgia), near Tbilisi. ... Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Georgian: ; literally, the Living Pillar Cathedral) is a Georgian Orthodox cathedral located in the historical town of Mtskheta, Georgia, 20 km (12. ... Jvari may mean Jvari, an ancient monastery in Georgia Jvari, a town in Georgia This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Svaneti (áƒ¡áƒ•áƒáƒœáƒ”áƒ—áƒ˜. Also known as Svanetia or Svania in Russian and Western languages) is a historic province in Georgia, in the northwestern part of the country. ... The Cathedral of the Dormition, or the Kutaisi Cathedral, more commonly known as Bagrati Cathedral (Georgian: áƒ‘áƒáƒ’áƒ áƒáƒ¢áƒ˜; áƒ‘áƒáƒ’áƒ áƒáƒ¢áƒ˜áƒ¡ áƒ¢áƒáƒ«áƒáƒ áƒ˜, or Bagratis tadzari), is the 11th-century cathedral church in the city of Kutaisi, the region of Imereti, Georgia. ... Gelati Monastery The Monastery of the Virgin - Gelati near Kutaisi (Imereti region of Western Georgia) was founded by the King of Georgia David the Builder (1089-1125) in 1106. ...

Contents

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