Mtskheta

Mtshketa is a small city of 20000 inhabitants located at the confluence of the Mtkvari (Kura) and Aragvi rivers, about 15km northwest of Tbilisi. Mtskheta is the main religious centre and the headquarter of the Georgian Christian orthodox church. The city dates back to the 5th century and is built on an early Christian centre in Georgia, where Christianity was introduced into Georgia in the year 337. The Svetitskhoveli cathedral is located in the centre of Mtshketa, while the Jvari monastery is on a hill overlooking Mtshketa. The Svetitskhoveli cathedral (სვეტიცხოვლის საკათედრო ტაძარი in Georgian) was completed in 1029 on the site of an earlier fourth century church. Inside the cathedral there are tombs of kings, decorations and on the walls there are religious frescoes. The cathedral is surrounded by a stone wall, built in 1787 and has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1994.