Svetitskhoveli Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Svetitskhoveli Cathedral |
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სვეტიცხოვლის საკათედრო ტაძარი
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Svetitskhoveli Cathedral's southern façade
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| 41°50′31″N 44°43′16″E / 41.8419°N 44.7211°E | |
| Location | Mtskheta, Mtskheta-Mtianeti |
| Country | Georgia |
| Denomination | Georgian Orthodox Church |
| Architecture | |
| Previous cathedrals | One built in the 4th century AD (by King Mirian III) Second one built in the 5th century AD (during the reign of Vakhtang I) |
| Architect(s) | Arsukisdze |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Style | Cross-in-square |
| Groundbreaking | 1010 |
| Completed | 1029 (during the reign of King George I) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 57.7 metres (189 ft) |
| Width | 27 metres (89 ft) |
| Height | 49 metres (161 ft) |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Materials | stone |
The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Georgian: სვეტიცხოვლის საკათედრო ტაძარი, meaning "Cathedral of the Living Pillar") is an important Orthodox Christian church. It is located in the old town of Mtskheta, Georgia, which is northwest of the capital city, Tbilisi. This amazing building is considered a masterpiece from the Middle Ages.
Svetitskhoveli is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is the second largest church in Georgia, after the Holy Trinity Cathedral. People believe it is the burial place of Christ's mantle. This makes it one of the most respected places of worship in the area.
For centuries, the cathedral was where kings were buried. The church you see today was finished between 1010 and 1029. It was designed by the architect Arsukisdze. However, the site has been a church location since the early 300s AD. The outside of the cathedral shows beautiful decorations typical of the 11th century.
Svetitskhoveli is a cultural landmark that has faced many challenges. Some of its valuable paintings, called frescoes, were lost. This happened when Russian authorities painted over them a long time ago. It is one of the four most important cathedrals in the Georgian Orthodox world.
Contents
History of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
Building the First Churches
The very first church on this spot was built in the 300s AD. This was during the time of King Mirian III of Kartli. Saint Nino is said to have chosen this special place. It is where the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers meet.
The Legend of the Living Pillar
According to an old Georgian story, a Jewish man named Elias from Mtskheta was in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. Elias bought Jesus’ robe from a Roman soldier. He brought it back to Georgia. When he returned, his sister Sidonia met him. As she touched the robe, she was filled with such strong emotions that she died.
The robe could not be taken from her hands, so she was buried with it. This special burial spot is now inside the cathedral. Later, a huge cedar tree grew from her grave. Saint Nino asked for the cedar to be cut down to build a church. Seven pillars were made from the tree for the church's foundation.
One of these pillars had magical powers. It rose into the air by itself! It only came back down after Saint Nino prayed all night. People also believed that a sacred liquid flowed from this seventh pillar. This liquid was said to cure all diseases.
In the Georgian language, sveti means "pillar" and tskhoveli means "life-giving" or "living." This is how the cathedral got its name. You can see an icon showing this story on a pillar inside the church. It shows Sidonia buried under the cedar tree stump. An angel lifts the pillar towards heaven. Saint Nino, King Mirian, and Queen Nana are also in the picture. Georgia officially became a Christian country in 337 AD.
Changes Over Time
The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral has been damaged many times throughout history. It was attacked by different groups like Arabs and Persians. It also suffered during Russian rule and the Soviet period. Earthquakes have also caused damage to the building.
The cathedral we see today was built between 1010 and 1029. The architect was Arsukidze. He was invited by Catholicos Melchizedek I of Georgia. King Giorgi I was the ruler of Georgia at that time.
A big repair happened in the late 1300s after Tamerlane destroyed parts of it. Another major renovation took place in the early 1400s. This is when the current dome was built. It was repaired again in the mid-1600s.
During a restoration project in 1970-71, the remains of an older church were found. This church was a basilica built in the late 400s by King Vakhtang Gorgasali. It was built after Saint Nino's first church.
The cathedral is surrounded by a strong defensive wall. This wall was built with stone and brick in 1787 by King Erekle II. In the 1830s, some parts of the church were removed because they were in poor condition. This happened before a visit from the Russian Emperor.
Cathedral Architecture
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The cathedral stands on flat ground in the middle of old Mtskheta. It is the most important building there and can be seen from almost everywhere.
Archaeologists found parts of an older, three-story basilica during the 1970-71 restoration. This basilica was likely built by Vakhtang Gorgasali. You can still see its remains in certain parts of the church. Even older wooden church parts were found inside the southern part of the cross shape.
The current Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was built around 1020. Its design is based on the cross-dome style. This style became popular in Georgia after the country was united by Bagrat III. In this style, the dome is placed over the center of the church, forming a cross shape.
The church was designed to have excellent sound. Large windows in the dome and walls let in a lot of light. The church plan looks like a cross with shorter side arms and longer front-to-back arms. The front entrance is now on the west side. The dome has been rebuilt several times. The current dome is from the 1400s, with its top part rebuilt in the 1600s.
The main stone used for the cathedral is a sandy yellow. Red stone is used around the main window. The green stone on the dome is from the 1600s.
The outside walls of the church are richly decorated. They have curved arches that have not changed since the 11th century. These arches seem to move up and down with the height of the wall, creating a lively look. Each window is surrounded by beautiful patterns, including designs that look like peacock tails.
A message above the windows on the eastern side says that Catholicos Melchisedek built the church. Above this, there are two carvings: an eagle with open wings and a lion below it.
A large window covers most of the western top side of the church. Its decoration shows the Ascension of Jesus. Jesus is sitting on a throne with two angels on either side. This triangle-shaped decoration fits perfectly with the roofline. The original carving has been repaired many times, most recently in the 1800s.
The Architect Arsukidze
There is a famous story about a carving on the outside northern wall. It shows a right arm and hand holding a tool used by stonemasons. An inscription next to it says:
The Hand of Arsukidze,
slave of God, may forgiveness be his.
Another inscription on the east side also mentions Arsukidze. It says he did not live to see his masterpiece finished in 1029:
This holy church was built by the hand of Thy wretched servant, Arsukidze.
May your soul rest in peace, O Master.
A novel by Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, The Hand of the Great Master, tells a legend. It says that a priest, who was Arsukidze's teacher, became jealous of his success. The priest used his power with the king to have Arsukidze's right hand cut off. The novel also suggests King George was jealous of Arsukidze because of a woman named Shorena. However, there is no historical proof for this legend.
Inside the Cathedral: Icons and Frescoes
The inside walls of the cathedral were once completely covered with medieval frescoes (wall paintings). Sadly, many of them did not survive. In the 1830s, when Emperor Nicholas I was planning to visit, Russian officials removed some old parts and painted over many frescoes. They wanted the cathedral to look "neater." In the end, the Czar never even came.
Today, after careful restoration, some frescoes remain. These include a 13th-century painting of the "Beast of the Apocalypse" and figures of the Zodiac.
The walls also have many Christian Orthodox icons. Most of these are not the originals. The original icons are kept in national museums in Georgia. The stone carvings in the church also feature grapes. This shows Georgia's long history of making wine. The large painting of Jesus at the altar was done by a Russian artist in the 1800s. Most of the icons you see today are from the 1900s. Some are copies of older icons from other churches in Georgia.
Two bull heads on the eastern wall are from the 400s church. They show how folk art influenced early Christian art.
The Baptismal Font
To the right of the cathedral entrance, there is a stone baptismal font. It dates back to the 300s. People believe it was used to baptize King Mirian and Queen Nana. Right behind the font, you can see a copy of the carving of Arsukidze's hand.
A Copy of the Holy Sepulchre Chapel
On the south side of the cathedral, there is a small stone church built inside. This is a symbolic copy of the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It was built between the late 1200s and early 1300s. It was placed here to show that Svetitskhoveli is the second most sacred place in the world. This is because of Christ's robe.
In front of this stone chapel, you can find the spot marking Sidonia's grave. Remains of the original life-giving pillar are also here. This area was built in the 1600s. Paintings showing the lives of King Mirian and Queen Nana are here. There are also portraits of the first Christian Byzantine Emperor, Constantine I, and his mother Helena. Traces of the 300s church foundations have been found here.
The Patriarch's Throne
Another structure along the southern side was also built in the 1600s. This was the throne for Catholicos Diasamidze. It is no longer used for this purpose. Today, the Georgian patriarch's throne is usually in the center of the church.
Burials in the Cathedral
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Tomb of Erekle II in Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
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Tomb of Vakhtang Gorgasali in Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
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A special message for Tamar, the first wife of George XI.
Svetitskhoveli was not only where Georgian kings were crowned, but also where they were buried. We know that ten kings were buried here. However, only six tombs have been found, all located in front of the altar.
- The tomb of King Vakhtang Gorgasali is in the middle of the cathedral. You can spot it by the small candle fortress in front of it.
- King Erekle II's tomb has a sword and shield on top of it.
- His son, George XII, was the last king of Georgia. His marble tomb is next to his father's.
- Also in front of the altar are the tombs of David VI, George VIII, and Luarsab I.
- Various members of the Bagrationi royal family are also buried here. This includes Tamar, the first wife of George XI. Her tombstone from 1684 has writing in both Georgian and Arabic.
Other Buildings Around the Cathedral
The cathedral stands in a large yard. This yard is surrounded by tall walls with towers, built in the 1700s. The top part of the wall was made for defense and has places for guns. The main entrance to the cathedral area is on the west side of the wall.
The wall has eight towers: six are round, and two are square. In the southwestern part of the yard, you can find the remains of a palace. There is also an 11th-century two-story tower above the gate. This tower is made of stone and has arches. It also has two bull heads on its western side. A message on the tower says that Catholicos Melchisedek built it.
Protecting Svetitskhoveli
A report from UNESCO in 2010 found that there are some problems with the cathedral's structure. These issues could affect how stable the building is overall. Efforts are ongoing to protect this important historical site.
Images for kids
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Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in 2023.
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A wide view of Mtskheta and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
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View from outside the wall.
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The entrance to the cathedral grounds.
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A fresco of Jesus inside the cathedral.
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Another fresco inside.
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The defensive walls and towers.
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Altars inside the cathedral.
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The interior of the cathedral.
