Samtavisi Cathedral

Samtavisi was built in 1030 on the plain west of Tbilisi, and its importance is compositional: the eastern facade, with a large carved cross set between two deep triangular niches and framed by arcading and a decorated window, established an arrangement that Georgian church builders repeated for centuries afterwards. The dome, drum and much of the upper structure were rebuilt in the fifteenth century after damage. Inside, fragments of wall painting survive. The church stands within a walled enclosure with a ruined bishop's palace and a bell tower, in flat farmland just off the main highway, which makes it an easy stop on the way to Gori or Uplistsikhe.

What you actually see

• The carved eastern facade - the cross and niches copied for centuries.
• Decorated window surrounds - the ornament framing the openings.
• The walled enclosure - bell tower and ruined bishop's palace.
• Fragments of wall painting - what survives inside.

When to go

April to October. One hour as a stop off the highway. Modest dress is required. It may be locked outside service times.

Honest expectations

Much of the upper church is later rebuilding rather than eleventh-century work. Interior painting is fragmentary. Traffic noise from the highway carries. There is no interpretation and few facilities.

Nearby

Kaspi is east; Gori and Uplistsikhe lie west.