03Cities and regions

The old capital

Mtskheta

Mtskheta lies about 20 kilometres north of Tbilisi, where the Kura and Aragvi rivers meet, and ranks among the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world. For nearly a thousand years, until the 5th century, it was a large fortified city and the heart of the Kingdom of Iberia; today it is a small town of about 7,400 people. Its historic monuments joined the World Heritage List in 1994. At the centre stands Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, a cross-in-square stone building completed between 1010 and 1029 by the architect Arsukidze. It is now the second-largest church building in the country, and its exterior arcading is a well-preserved example of 11th-century decoration. On a 656-metre hill above the confluence sits Jvari, built between 590 and 605, whose design became the model for a whole type of church in the region. Drive up to Jvari first to see the rivers and the town from above, then wander the streets around the cathedral. Half a day from Tbilisi is enough.

About 20 km

Distance from Tbilisi

1994

Added to the World Heritage List

0 m

Height of Jvari hill