Alaverdi

Alaverdi is a cathedral and monastery complex located in the Kakheti region, within the Akhmeta Municipality, on the Alazani Valley near the village of Alaverdi, approximately 20 km from Telavi.

The cathedral is one of the largest religious buildings in Georgia, rising to more than 50 metres including its dome.

The complex includes St. George's Cathedral, the defensive wall, the bell tower, the bishop's residence, the Palace of Peikar Khan, a wine cellar, and historic baths.

The Alaverdi Monastery was founded in the mid-6th century by Joseph of Alaverdi, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers.

In the early 11th century, King Kvirike of Kakheti built a cathedral on the site of the small Church of St. George. Today, it is widely known as Alaverdi Cathedral.

During the Middle Ages, Alaverdi was one of Georgia's most revered pilgrimage sites. The annual Alaverdoba festival, celebrated in September and October, became an important religious and folk celebration attended not only by people from different regions of Georgia, but also by Kists and visitors from Dagestan. A traditional fair was also held during the festivities.

Founded in the 6th century by Joseph of Alaverdi, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, the monastery stands in the Alazani Valley against the backdrop of the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains, about 20 km from Telavi. The present-day Cathedral of St. George was built during the first quarter of the 11th century by King Kvirike of Kakheti on the site of an earlier church. Measuring 41.7 × 26.4 metres and rising over 50 metres high, it is one of Georgia's largest cathedrals.

From the 11th century onward, Alaverdi served as an episcopal centre and the residence of the bishops of the diocese. During the same period, it also became the burial place of the royal house of Kakheti.

Throughout its history, Alaverdi Cathedral suffered repeated damage from invasions and earthquakes. Its first major restoration took place in the 1480s during the reign of King Alexander of Kakheti, when the drum of the dome and sections of the walls were rebuilt. Following the devastating earthquake of 1742, restoration works were initiated by Queen Tamar in 1750 and completed by King Erekle II. All restored sections were constructed of brick. At the end of the 19th century, the cathedral's interior was completely whitewashed. After conservation work in 1966, several layers of wall paintings were uncovered, including valuable fragments of the original 11th-century frescoes, as well as murals dating from the 15th–16th centuries on the southern wall and the 16th–17th centuries on the western and northern walls.