Alaverdi - a cathedral of Georgia, worthy of attention of tourists

Alaverdi is a cathedral and one of the main architectural sights of Georgia. This temple is considered to be the largest and oldest in the country. Every year in September, all who wish to celebrate Alaverdob come to the walls of this cult building. Alaverdob is a religious holiday, which takes place in honor of Alaverdi Bishop Joseph. Alaverdi Cathedral and monastic complex make a powerful impression of the harmony of its huge proportions. This building gives a feeling of peace and admires the view, and being at its ancient walls, you understand that no earthly forces are capable of destroying it.

A bit about the history of the temple

Alaverdi, the cathedral, can be found 20 kilometers from the Georgian city of Telavi. It was built at the beginning of the 11th century by Tsar Kvirike Kahi, who ruled at that time Kakheti. Then it was the highest design, which struck attention with its beauty and monumentality. Alaverdi - a cathedral, whose height reaches 50 meters, - and today it is considered one of the largest churches in Georgia.

The temple was erected on the site, in which in the VI century there was a small church of St. George. This church was built by Joseph Alaverdeli, so even now the local population calls the Cathedral of Alaverdi the Church of St. George.

Alaverdi is a cathedral, which was destroyed many times by invaders. In the XI century, the first significant restoration work was carried out. They were headed by the Kakhetian Tsar Alexander. In 1142 there was an earthquake, as a result of which the structure was damaged again. Repair it took the queen Tamara in 1150. The restoration was completed by the monarch Irakli II. During the repair, some changes were made to the exterior of the structure, but even today the landmark remains an invaluable historical monument of Georgia's medieval architecture.

Description of the Cathedral

Alaverdi - a monastery and a cathedral - is an architectural ensemble that surrounds the fortress wall. Also this ensemble consists of a medieval refectory, a bell tower with a fence and a summer palace. The main building of the cathedral has a rectangular shape and represents a sky-high construction with a poor decor. It's an incredibly beautiful building, but it really looks gorgeous inside.

The inner hall is simply huge. It is increased by the height of the dome, which exceeds 42 meters. On the walls of the building, elements of fresco painting dating from the 11th, 15th, and 17th centuries were preserved.

The history of the appearance of the name Alaverdi

Until now, it is not completely clear where Alaverdi (cathedral) came from. On this occasion, there are many disputes, speculation, arguments and reasoning. But there is no unanimity. But there are several versions of what exactly means the word "Alaverdi" and where, in general, it appeared.

Alaverdi is sometimes translated as "Allah gave." And if we assume that this conjecture is considered correct, then it is not clear who decided to call the Christian shrine a word of Turkic origin.

Not everyone knows that there is a city in Armenia, which, like the temple, is called Alaverdi. This settlement was founded just by the Turks.

Quite often the Cathedral of Alaverdi is called Alaverdi. But this is an unacceptable mistake, because Alaverdi is the ancient name of the Armenian city of Alaverdi, which was mentioned above. Also, "Alaverdi" is considered a drinking word, which is often associated with the name of the church. And this is generally unacceptable.

The most convincing version regarding the origin of the name of the cathedral is the following: Alaverdi is a warped Alva-Hvardi, meaning "Alvan plain". Well, if you recall that the attraction is located just on the Alvan plain, everything becomes clear and logical.

Persons buried in Alaverdi

Since Alaverdi (the cathedral, photo of which is presented above) was the main Christian temple of Kakheti, then the monarchs were buried in its walls. Thus, the cathedral was the last refuge for:

• St. Joseph of Alaverdi.
• The Great Martyrs Ketevan, the wife of Prince David. This queen is the main character of some Georgian poems, legends and songs.
• Bishop John of Alaverdi, who was killed in this temple Lezgins in 1480.
• Kakheti Tsar Alexander I, who was killed as a result of the conspiracy of his own son George.
• George II Avgiorgiya, the offspring of the above-mentioned tsar. George II wore the nickname of Evil George for killing his parent and blinded his younger brother.

Other functions of the temple and monastery

We already wrote about where the cathedral is located, but I would also like to mention what other functions this structure played. From the beginning of its existence, Alaverdi was a monastery, but only for men. Only in the XVII-XVIII centuries it became a shelter for women from the royal families who decided to take tonsure.

Alaverdi was a huge center of manuscript and enlightening activity. In the monastery was a luxurious library, for which documents and manuscripts were rewritten by the nuns themselves.