Religious East
route:Tbilisi - Bolnisi - Dmanisi - Tbilisi
First Day: Tbilisi city tour on foot
you will visit: Sameba cathedral - the main Georgian Orthodox Christian cathedral, Constructed between 1995 and 2004;
Sachino Palace with convent - this was the "summer palace" of Queen Darejan,
Metekhi temple - King Vakhtang I Gorgasali erected here a church and a fort which served also as a king’s residence; hence comes the name Metekhi which dates back to the 12th century and literally means “the area around the palace”;
Saint Abo church - Iraqi by origin, Abo grew up Muslim in Baghdad. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, he found himself in Tbilisi,Abo's profession in Baghdad was that of a perfumer, in which he excelled as maker of fine perfumes and ointments,he became convinced of Christianity, . In 786 he was denounced as a Christian to the Arab officials in Tbilisi, arrested and tried for being a renegade from Islam. He confessed his faith at trial, was imprisoned, and martyred on January 6, 786.his was burnt where this church stands;
Mosque - built in 1895 and the only mosque in Tbilisi that survived Lavrenty Beria’s antireligious purges of the 1930s. Unusually, Shiite and Sunni Muslims pray together here. The interior is prettily frescoed and visitors are welcome to enter (after removing shoes);
Narikala fortress with saint Nicolas church - The fortress was established in the 4th century as Shuris-tsikhe (i.e., "Invidious Fort").
you will visit: Sameba cathedral - the main Georgian Orthodox Christian cathedral, Constructed between 1995 and 2004;
Sachino Palace with convent - this was the "summer palace" of Queen Darejan,
Metekhi temple - King Vakhtang I Gorgasali erected here a church and a fort which served also as a king’s residence; hence comes the name Metekhi which dates back to the 12th century and literally means “the area around the palace”;
Saint Abo church - Iraqi by origin, Abo grew up Muslim in Baghdad. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, he found himself in Tbilisi,Abo's profession in Baghdad was that of a perfumer, in which he excelled as maker of fine perfumes and ointments,he became convinced of Christianity, . In 786 he was denounced as a Christian to the Arab officials in Tbilisi, arrested and tried for being a renegade from Islam. He confessed his faith at trial, was imprisoned, and martyred on January 6, 786.his was burnt where this church stands;
Mosque - built in 1895 and the only mosque in Tbilisi that survived Lavrenty Beria’s antireligious purges of the 1930s. Unusually, Shiite and Sunni Muslims pray together here. The interior is prettily frescoed and visitors are welcome to enter (after removing shoes);
Narikala fortress with saint Nicolas church - The fortress was established in the 4th century as Shuris-tsikhe (i.e., "Invidious Fort").
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Higher Bethlehem Holy Mother of God - Built as an Armenian church in the 18th century, on the site of an older church, it now operates as a Georgian orthodox church; Lower Bethlehem - The Surf- Stephanoz or so to say the St. Stephanoz nunnery was founded by the Armenians , immigrated from Iran , in 1725-1727 on the very place and they constructed a small chapel as well; at the end Ateshgah - The ancient worship place , known as Ateshga, Long ago a fire temple stood on the very place and its name derived from “ ateshgah” ( place of fire in Persian) dinner at the restaurant resting at the hotel free time Second Day: route:Tbilisi-Bolnisi-Dmanisi-Tbilisi (160 km) breakfast at the hotel Drive to lower Kartli - Tour starts with Sioni church in Bolnisi, it is the biggest Georgian temple in the form of a basilica in Southeast. (V-in) one of the most ancient inscriptions are found In the temple in the Georgian language. After that we will visit Tsugrugasheni's church. located at top of the mountain which is known with an ornament and the Dome was included into UNESCO List. Around very beautiful nature. The name designates “God's way”. It is constructed at the beginning of the XIII century. at the end of tour we will visit Dmanisi - the most ancient City is located on Mashaver's river. The city existed since the V century, here you can see gate, paved streets, baths, dwellings, wine cellars and basilica. end of tour dinner at the traditional restaurant |