Kintsvisi Monastery

Kintsvisi stands in a wooded valley north of Kareli, and its church of Saint Nicholas, built of brick in the early thirteenth century, holds one of the best fresco cycles of the Georgian golden age. The painting includes a portrait of Queen Tamar, made in her lifetime or close to it, and an image of an angel at the empty tomb whose robe was painted with imported lapis lazuli, so intensely blue that the figure is known simply as the Kintsvisi angel and appears on posters across the country. Other buildings stand ruined in the grounds. The church is small, the valley is quiet and the road in is rough.

What you actually see

• The blue angel fresco - painted with imported lapis lazuli.
• A portrait of Queen Tamar - made in or near her lifetime.
• Thirteenth-century brick construction - unusual among Georgian churches.
• Ruined buildings in the grounds - the rest of the monastic complex.

When to go

April to October. Two hours. The road in is rough. Modest dress is required. Ask locally if the church is locked; the keyholder is usually nearby.

Honest expectations

The last kilometres are rough and taxis charge for it. The church is often locked and access can take time. Interior light is very poor and photography is generally not permitted, so the famous angel is hard to see well.

Nearby

Kareli is south; Gori lies east.