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        THE GELATI MONASTERY XXII-XIV cc., was for a long time one of the main cultural and intellectual centers in Georgia. It had an Academy which employed some of the most celebrated Georgian scientists, theologians and philosophers. It’s described as the ”new Athens” and ”the Second Jerusalem”, and is one of the greatest spiritual and cultural centers of the Middle Age Georgia.

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The monastery was founded by King Davit Agmashenebeli (David the Builder) in 1106. Gelati Monastery was also the burial vault of Georgian Kings – the Bagrations. Since XVI century Gelati has been an Episcopal Cathedral.

The buildings and paintings
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The Central building of the Monastery is a central cupola church of the Virgin. Its interior is covered with paintings of different times. Alter apse is decorated with a brilliant mosaic composition of a standing Virgin holding the Child with archangels on her side dated to 1125-1130. In the western narthex there are mural paintings of XII century depicting seven ecumenical councils. Most of the murals in the Cathedral are executed in the second half of the XVI century.Other architectural monuments of the Monastery are of XII and XIV centuries. These are: the Academy, Church of S. George, interior of which was painted in XVI century, a two storied building of the Church of St. Nicholas and a belltower which is one of the oldes in Georgia. King David the Builder (1089-1125) is buried at the southern gate in the wall of the Monastery.

On UNESCOS World Heritage List
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The Monastery has been inscribed on UNESCOs World Heritage List since 1994

References: Wikipaedia and posters inside Gelati


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The Cathedral, exterior


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Inscription on the floor.


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A friendly athmosphere.
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