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Jvari Monastery Jvari Monastery is one of the most important architectural, historical and religious monuments in Georgia. The importance of the monastery was underlined in 1994 when it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Monastery Complex - Large Jvari Church Name of the monastery Jvari means "cross" in English, which is why the churches in the complex are called Cross Churches and the monastery itself is called Cross Monastery. History of Jvari Monastery The history of the monastery dates back to the 4th century, when the King of Eastern Georgia - Mirian and St Nino (the missionary who converted Georgia to Christianity) erected a cross on the site of the present monastery. In 586, Grand Duke Guaram I built a chapel to the north of the cross, also known as the "Little Church of the Cross". The main church of the monastery, the "Great Church of the Cross", was then built in 586-604 by Prince Stephen the First. Why was the cross built in the 4th century? After the Peace of Nisibis in 299 between the Romans and the new Persian Empire of the Sassanids, Georgia had to make the most important decision of its new history. It could either adopt Zoroastrianism as its state religion and thus ally itself with the Sassanids, or it could choose Western civilisation and embrace Christianity. Georgia made its choice and became the second country in the world to become Christian in 337. As a symbol of Christianity, the then King Mirian and the missionary Nino erected a cross on the site where idols had stood. The Monastery of the Cross was later built on this site. Why was the first church built in the 6th century? In the VI century Georgia was largely under Persian control. The Georgian Grand Duke Guaram allied himself with the Byzantine Empire and tried to regain control of his territory. After several years, he largely succeeded. He was the first Georgian ruler to receive the Eastern Roman title of Kuropalate, had his own coins minted and is considered the founder of the Guarimid dynasty. Guaram introduced several reforms in the country and worked hard to revive the Christian faith. Among other things, he built the Jwari Church. Construction of the second "Great Jvari" church Stephen I and his brothers Demetreus and Adarnese are considered to be the founders of the Great Dzhvari Church. Stephen was the son of Guaram I (the founder of the Small Dzhvari). He was given the title of Patricius by the Eastern Roman Emperor, but decided to deviate from his father's policy and ally himself with the Sassanids. Although this gave him more political freedom and greater control over eastern Georgia, the Sassanid influence also meant that Zoroastrianism was gaining ground. To show his position on religion, he had coins minted with a fire temple on the obverse and a cross above the temple. These coins can now be seen in Germany, in the Berlin Art Museum. He then built the Great Dzhvari Church over the religious centre of Georgia - Mtskheta. Defensive wall The monastery was protected on three sides by a defensive wall and had a defence tower on the north-eastern side. The wall and tower were built in the 16th-17th centuries during the Persian and Ottoman invasions. The wall was damaged several times and only a small part of it remains. Small extension on the south side of the main church The small building near the south side of the main church dates from the 7th century. There are different opinions as to the purpose of the building, but most historians believe that it was the seat of the Archbishop and later the Catholicos. Architecture Small cruciform church The small cruciform church from the 6th century is located on the north side close to the main church. Architecturally, the church is a basilica with 2 small naves and a longer one. The church is 8 metres high and 5.5 metres long. The church is built of well-hewn sandstone of a greenish colour and each stone has square sides. The entrance to the church is to the east and a burial chamber with four tombs has been preserved under the church. The church is not decorated on the outside, but there were mosaics on the apse and the triumphal arch inside. A very small part of the mosaic can still be seen inside the church. Main church Architecturally, the building is a tetraconchos (four-apsidal building) with a slightly elongated east-west axis. The floor plan of the central room forms an irregular octagon. The church has two entrances, one from the south and one from the north. Height: 25 metres. Length: 22.3 metres. Width: 19 metres. From the outside, the structure of the Jvari church corresponds to the interior. In a sense, there is a balance between the inside and the outside. Facades of the main church The Jvari is the first church in Georgia with extensive sculptural decoration. On the outer wall of the eastern apse, Christ is depicted in the centre with the founder Stephanos, on the side panels to the right his brother Demetrius and to the left the second brother Adarnes with his young son Kobul. The composition of the two outer reliefs is related to that of the central relief. Their structure is reminiscent of a triptych. The theme of the Byzantine apse mosaics - Christ in the centre flanked by the founders - was transferred here to the outer wall for the first time. Above the southern entrance to the church, in the tympanum, there is a medallion with a cross being carried by two angels over palm leaves. This scene represents the lifting of the cross and symbolises the resurrection of Jesus. Above the southern tympanum is a kneeling Jesus, presumably the architect of the church. Interior In the centre of the church is a stone base in the shape of an octagon. The cross, erected by Mirian and Nino in the 4th century, stood on the pedestal for a long time. Today's four-metre-high cross is new, having been made in Tbilisi in 1995. Thirteen scenes from the New Testament are depicted on the cross. The church consists of four rooms: to the east is the altar, to the left of the altar is the proskomidia (in Orthodox churches, proskomidia refers to the preparatory acts before the actual service - the celebration of the Eucharist in the form of the Divine Liturgy). The proskomidia is similar to the offertory in the Western Church). On the right is the sacristy (the room where the priests and ministers change and where the items needed for the service are kept, such as liturgical vestments, paraments, liturgical equipment: chalices, chalices, candlesticks, liturgical books, hosts, wine and candles). To the south-west is a separate room for women, which was furnished by a certain Mrs Temestia, as the inscription at the entrance to the room testifies. The interior of the Jvari church was painted, but the frescoes have not survived the turbulent times. All in all, the Jvari type of building had a great influence on the entire Caucasus region and served as a model for many churches in later centuries. Georgian script from the Jvari Monastery Georgian inscriptions from the 6th and 7th centuries have been preserved on the facades and in the interior of the Jvari church, making it one of the oldest examples of Georgian script in the country. The first inscription is clearly visible on the southern façade of the church. The inscription is attached to the frescoes of the people depicted, giving their names and positions. The second inscription is inside the church, above the women's entrance on the south-west side. The inscription mentions the name of the woman who donated the money to build the extra room for women. The third inscription was on a stone in the octagonal base. The stone with the inscription is now in the Tbilisi Art Museum. Jvari Monastery in the Soviet Era During the Soviet era, the monastery lost its religious function, but could be visited as an architectural monument and place of interest. A pioneer camp was established near the monastery, and when the monastery was reopened in 1991, the grounds and buildings of the camp were incorporated into the monastery. It now serves as a residence for the monks, who also run a farm. Location The Jvari Monastery is located above the ancient capital of Georgia - Mtskheta, on the left side above the Aragvi and Kura rivers. On following trip, you will visit Jvari Monastery: |
