Mtskheta

Mtskheta is a city in Georgia, located at the confluence of the Aragvi and Kura rivers. It is the administrative center of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. The city is located a few kilometers north of Tbilisi.A trip to Mtskheta, the ancient capital of the Georgian Kingdom, is a great opportunity to spend a wonderful day away from the hustle and bustle, touch authentic antiquity and visit the source of Georgian statehood.

The best time to travel depends on your preferences, but the best time to visit Mtskheta, in the opinion of the guests, is still the off-season: spring and autumn.The temperature here is the most comfortable: the nights are quite cool, and during the day you can safely walk through the streets and monasteries.In spring, you will witness the stunning flowering of orchards: the aromas of apple, cherry and other flowering trees will accompany you on every corner. And in autumn, the already fabulous Mtskheta landscape will be complemented by a stunning kaleidoscope of bright colors, which will color the trees in the city and on the mountain slopes. It is best to observe such an autumn landscape from the walls of the Jvari temple.

The oldest city in Georgia, founded in the 5th century BC. According to legend, the city was founded by the legendary Mtskheta. After the death of King Kartlos, his wife divided the lands between her sons. Among them, the elder Mtskhetos settled in the place where the Aragvi and Kura rivers flow, built a city and named it after himself.

There are the remains of fortified residences of the Armaza fortress, Bebristsikhe, city quarters, burial grounds, as well as the Samtavro monastery complex (the main temple of the XI century). Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was and still remains the center of religious life and the main attraction of Mtskheta.

. On the Krestovaya Hill opposite Mtskheta is located

 one of the oldest monastery temples in the country, Jvari (6th - 7th century) Jvari Monastery is considered a masterpiece of Georgian church architecture.

"Where they merge, they make noise,

Hugging like two sisters,

Aragvi and Kura Streams

There was a Monastery.Because of the mountain

And now a pedestrian sees it.

Pillars of the collapsed gate,

And the towers, and the church vault..."

This is how Lermontov once described the ancient monastery of Jvari, and one cannot disagree with him here.

Not far from the city of Mtskheta there is a medieval monastic architectural complex of the 6th century - Shio-Mgvime. Cultural monuments of the region are protected by UNESCO and belong to the World Heritage Site.