Alaverdi Cathedral (Monastery of Saint George)

Alaverdi Cathedral (St. George Cathedral) is one of the greatest masterpieces of Georgian medieval architecture from the "Golden Age", a spiritual stronghold, and the cathedral center of Kakheti. The monumental cathedral rises amidst the fertile vineyards of the Alazani Valley near the towns of Akhmeta and Telavi. Right up until the construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba) in Tbilisi in 2004, Alaverdi remained for almost a thousand years the tallest church structure in Georgia (the height of the cathedral with the dome exceeds 50 meters).

The history of the monastery began in the 6th century, when Venerable Joseph of Alaverdi arrived in these parts, one of the thirteen holy Assyrian Cappadocian Fathers who established monasticism in Georgia. Venerable Joseph settled in the deserted semi-arid area of Alaverdi (which in ancient Turkic translates as "given by God"), where he erected a modest wooden church of Saint George and converted the local inhabitants to Christianity. In the 11th century, during the era of the unification of Georgian lands, King Kvirike III the Great of Kakheti erected a grand cathedral on the site of the ancient church, which became a symbol of Kakheti’s power and independence.

The architecture of Alaverdi represents the pinnacle of Georgian triconch church architecture. The cathedral reaches a height of over 50 meters (which made it the tallest church in Georgia until the construction of Sameba Cathedral in Tbilisi in the early 21st century). The monumental building of light travertine and tuff possesses austere, streamlined proportions reaching upward. The cathedral's facades are virtually devoid of lavish carved ornamentation typical of later Georgian churches, highlighting its monumental grandeur, purity of lines, and monastic austerity.

The monastery complex is encircled by a formidable 17th-century fortress wall with defensive towers, inside which are located the bishop’s palace, refectory, monastic cells, and an ancient marani. Alaverdi Monastery is world-renowned for its thousand-year winemaking traditions: archaeological excavations have confirmed that monks produced wine in qvevri on this site continuously since the 11th century. Today the monastic cellar has been restored, and the brotherhood crafts elite biodynamic wines from Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, and Saperavi grape varieties according to ancient recipes, aging them in ancient clay vessels underground. The monks also keep an apiary and produce pure mountain honey. The cathedral is open daily; visitors are required to observe church dress codes.