Samtavro Monastery

Samtavro is an Orthodox Christian monastery complex that combines Samtavro Transfiguration Church and Nunnery of St. Nino in Mtskheta, Georgia. Built presumably in the 4th century by the King Mirian III, and reconstructed in the 11th century by the King George I and Catholicos-Patriarch Melchizedek I, Samtavro is an important Early and High Medieval historical and architectural monument, protected by UNESCO. Samtavro church is cross-in-square temple, with archature [sic?] and other decorations typical for the 11th century Georgian architecture. The famous Georgian Saint monk Gabriel is buried in the yard of Samtavro Church.

The monastery was constructed in the northwestern part of the old town of Mtskheta. Unfortunately, no inscriptions remain to tell about its construction time. According to the Georgian hagiographic sources the monastery was established in the 4th century, during the reign of the King Mirian III of Iberia, when a small church was built here by Saint Nino in connection with conversion of Georgia in Christianity. Mirian and his wife Nino were buried in the monastery.

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