Metekhi Church, Tbilisi, Georgia - SpottingHistory.com

Metekhi was one of the earliest inhabited areas on the Tbilisi's territory. According to traditional accounts, King Vakhtang I Gorgasali erected here a church and a fort which served also as a king’s residence; hence comes the name Metekhi which dates back to the 12th century and literally means “the area around the palace”. Tradition holds that it was also a site where the 5th-century martyr lady Saint Shushanik was buried. However, none of these structures have survived the Mongol invasion of 1235.

The extant Metekhi Church of Assumption, resting upon the top of the hill, was built by the Georgian king St Demetrius II circa 1278–1284 and is somewhat an unusual example of domed Georgian Orthodox church. It was later damaged and restored several times. King Rostom (r. 1633-1658) fortified the area around the church with a strong citadel garrisoned by some 3,000 soldiers. Under the Russian rule (established in 1801), the church lost its religious purpose and was used as a barracks (R. G. Suny, p. 93). The citadel was demolished in 1819 and replaced by a new building which functioned as the infamous jail down to the Soviet era, and was closed only in 1938.

The Metekhi church is a cross-cupola church. While this style was the most common throughout the Middle Ages, the Metekhi church is somewhat anachronistic with its three projecting apses in the east facade and the four freestanding pillars supporting the cupola within. The church is made of brick and dressed stone. The restoration of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries mostly employed brick. The facade is for the most part smooth, with decorative elements concentrated around the windows of the eastern apses. Horizontal bands below the gables run around all four sides and serve as a unifying element. The north portico of the main entrance is not a later addition but was built at the same time as the rest of the church.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Georgia

User Reviews

Ajit Jose (4 months ago)
Good location, both tourist attraction and a holy place. With beautiful garden.

Anıl (6 months ago)
Metekhi Church and statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali are Tblisi’s Landmarks. Definitely worth to visit.

Vinod Bhojani (6 months ago)
From this place you can see top view of city

Mohammad Al-Hadrusi (7 months ago)
If you want to see an unusual sunset you should visit Metekhi Church in that time and enjoy the view.

giorgi salamashvili (10 months ago)
The name "Metekhi" was first time mentioned in the Georgian medieval chronicles Kartlis Tskhovreba in connection with suppression of the rebellion against King Demetre I in 1132 (or 1145), and execution of eristavi Ivane Abuletisdze, who was buried in "Metekhi". It is though unclear, which particular church is mentioned. Except for Tbilisi, a church of Assumption is also found in a small village named Metekhi.

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