Mtskheta Day: Tbilisi "Church" Tour

While most Georgians adore Americans, they do not celebrate Columbus Day. They do, however, celebrate Mtskheta Day (or "Historic capital of Tbilisi Day") on the very next day, which makes for a nice break in the middle of the work week.

We used this freebie to do some sight seeing with friends. We planned a morning of breakfast at a donut shop owned by an American (which means REAL American donuts...mmmmm...sinfully good.) followed by a self guided tour of some of the more prominent churches (and a synagogue) in Tbilisi.

We began with the newest church in Tbilisi. Visible from almost any point in the city (including our front porch) this church is located in the historic (read: old and falling apart) Armenian district of the city. Accessible by steep, narrow cobble-stoned streets packed with pedestrians and veggie stands this church is recognized by its gold dome and 3-tiered facade.


When we walked through the first set of arches onto the church grounds I commented that it felt as though we had stepped out of a time machine into a new world. Expansive green lawns, manicured gardens and close clipped hedges, ponds complete with swans as far as the eye can see (unless you can actually see beyond the walls to the hazy city below.)




Next stop was a synagogue in Old Town Tbilisi. This was much smaller and more intimate compared to the large church we had just left. A grounds keeper took us inside and turned on the lights for us. He invited us to the 2nd floor along an intricately painted stairwell.



Across the street from the synagogue was this Georgian Orthodox church. It was not open for us to go inside so we roamed about the grounds. You can see the crack down the exterior wall of the building, damage from an earthquake.





We ended our tour with the oldest church in Tbilisi. This is a tiny church and we were not allowed to use the flash on our camera so the photos are a bit blurry. There were detailed frescoes on the ceiling and a tomb in the floor. It is a sign of respect for women to cover their heads when entering an Orthodox church, although the parishioners are understanding of ignorant tourists.