Timotesubani Monastery

Timotesubani stands in coniferous forest in a side valley above Borjomi, a domed church built of brick in the early thirteenth century during the reign of Queen Tamar and her successor, unusual in Georgia where stone was the norm. Its interest is the painting: a fresco cycle from around 1205 to 1215 covering the interior, with a heavy use of blue and a monumental treatment of figures that places it among the strongest surviving work of the period. Conservation work has stabilised much of it. The setting is quiet forest with a stream, and the monastery is active, with a small community. It is reached on a side road most visitors to Borjomi never take.

What you actually see

• Early thirteenth-century frescoes - a cycle from the reign of Tamar.
• Brick construction - unusual among Georgian medieval churches.
• Deep blue grounds in the painting - the colour the cycle is known for.
• A quiet forest valley - conifers and a stream around the monastery.

When to go

May to October; the road is difficult in snow. Two hours from Borjomi. Modest dress is required. Photography inside is not permitted.

Honest expectations

The interior is dark and the frescoes need time and patience to read. It is a working monastery with rules that are enforced. The road in is narrow. There is no interpretation on site.

Nearby

Borjomi is east; Bakuriani lies south over the hills.