Bagrat Cathedral, Gelati Monastery, and the Historical Monuments of the city of Mtskheta were the first Georgian sites to be included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1994. In 1996, Upper Svaneti was added to the widely known list, currently comprising 812 World Heritage Sites located in 137 state parties. Out of these most  ‘valued’ sites  of humanity, 628 are cultural, 160 are natural and 24 are mixed properties.

The initiative to create the World Heritage List aimed  at cataloguing, naming, and preserving sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humankind. Under certain conditions, the listed sites can obtain funds from the World Heritage Fund. The programme was founded with the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on November 16, 1972. Since then, 182 countries have ratified the convention. Georgia ratified the UNESCO convention on October 7, 1992, today having 3 WHS, all cultural. 

Bagrat Cathedral

A perfect masterpiece of the medieval architecture in Georgia, Bagrat Cathedral is located in Kutaisi, in Western Georgia’s Imereti province. The cathedral rests upon the top of Ukimerioni Hill and harmoniously mingles with the natural beauty of the place. It was built between the 10th-11th centuries by Bagrat III (975-1014), the first king of united Georgia. Experts praise the structure for its subtle proportions, balancing the harmony of the exterior with the grandiose space of the interior.  Diverse  decorations and ornaments deeply inspire all visitors.

In 1692, the cathedral  was  ravaged in an explosion by Ottoman troops, which had invaded the Kingdom of Imereti. The incident caused the cupola and the ceiling to collapse, leaving the cathedral in ruins. In the early 1950s restoration activities were launched to save the monument. 

Gelati Monastery

The Gelati Monastery of the Holy Virgin, whose main buildings were erected between the 12th and 17th centuries, captivates visitors  with its wonderful mosaics and wall paintings and  symbolizes the Golden Age of  Georgian history. Founded by King David the Builder (1089-1125) in 1106, the glorious monastery lies near Kutaisi. David the Builder is the most respected ruler among local historians and is recognised as a Saint by the Georgian Orthodox church.  The Gelati Monastery used to serve as one of the main cultural and educational centres in old Georgia, with its popular Gelati Academy, which employed the most celebrated Georgian scientists - theologians and philosophers, including  Ioane Petritsi and Arsen Ikaltoeli. Because of this  extensive enlightening work folding up at the Gelati Academy, it was commonly called ‘the new Hellas’ or  ‘the second Athos’. The Gelati Monastery has a great number of mural paintings  and manuscripts dating back to the 12th-17th centuries, most popular of which is the fresco of David the Builder with a model of the monastery in his left hand.

The famous Gelati mosaic depicting  Holy Virgin with the baby Jesus,  accompanied  by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, demonstrates the  professionalism and refined taste of the painter as well as a high level of Georgian mural paintings.

At the entrance to Gelati lies the grave of the Saint King. According to his will,  all people entering the monastery must step on his grave to cross, showing the unusual modesty and spiritual depth of the great ruler.  

Mtskheta

With its picturesque landscapes and historic churches representing an outstanding example of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus, Mtskheta is a key tourist destination in the country. It is located in Eastern Georgia’s Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, near the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

Before the King Vakhtang Gorgasali shifted the capital to Tbilisi, Mtskheta was a capital of the Georgian Kingdom of Iberia from 3rd century BC to 5th century AD. Here Georgians accepted Christianity as a state religion in 317.  Since then Mtskheta has been regarded as the spiritual centre of Georgia and the “second Jerusalem”.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century) and cross-shaped Jvari Monastery (6th century) in Mtskheta are amongst the most significant monuments of Georgian Christian architecture. Svetitskhoveli Patriarchal Cathedral of the Twelve Holy Apostles, keeps  two greatest treasures of both the Old and the New Testament  – the Mantle of the Prophet Elias and the seamless Robe of Jesus Christ. The Mantle  was brought to Georgia by the Jews persecuted by Nabuchadnezzar and the Robe of Christ was brought  by a witness of Christ’s crucifixion, Elioz, a Jew inhabitant of Mtskheta.

In Mtskheta one can also find  the Armaztsikhe fortress (3rd century BC), the Armaztsikhe acropolis (late 1st millennium BC), the fragmentary remains of a royal palace (1st-3rd century AD), the Samtavro Nunnery of Saint Nino (11th century), the fortress of Bebris Tsikhe (14th century),  etc.

Upper Svaneti

Surrounded by  breathtaking sky-scraping mountains, Svaneti is the highest inhabited area in Europe. Four of the 10 highest peaks of the Caucasus are located in the region, including the highest  Mount in Georgia - Shkhara (5,201 m.). Thanks to its natural isolation, Upper Svaneti has preserved a fresh image of a  medieval fortress-village with its famous Svan towers erected mainly in the 9th-12th centuries. A village of Chajashi in the  Mestia district of the  Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region,  chosen by UNESCO to add its World Heritage List, has more than 200 of such  houses. They are about 20-25 m. in height, having 4-6 stories and  were used both as dwellings and as defence posts against the invaders. Historically, the Svans have been  known as mighty warriors.  Aside its towers, Svaneti attracts tourists and pilgrims with its  dozens of Orthodox churches and chapels, most of them dedicated to Saint George, a patron saint of Georgia. 

Unique traditions and  culture of the Svan people  feels best in its folklore.  Svaneti boasts one of the most complex forms of polyphonic choral singing,  typical of Georgian vocal music.