Alaverdi Monastery

Alaverdi Monastery
ალავერდის მონასტერი
Alaverdi Monastery
Shown within Georgia
Basic information
Location 25 km from Akhmeta, Kakheti Province (Mkhare), Georgia
Geographic coordinates 42°01′57″N 45°22′38″E / 42.032497°N 45.377108°E / 42.032497; 45.377108Coordinates: 42°01′57″N 45°22′38″E / 42.032497°N 45.377108°E / 42.032497; 45.377108
Affiliation Georgian Orthodox Church
Region Caucasus
Architectural description
Architectural style Georgian; Monastery
Founder Monk Joseph (Yoseb, Amba) Alaverdeli
Funded by Kvirike III of Kakheti
Completed 6th-11th centuries

Alaverdi Monastery (Georgian: ალავერდის მონასტერი) is a Georgian Eastern Orthodox monastery located 25 km (16 mi) from Akhmeta, in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia. While parts of the monastery date back to 6th century, the present day cathedral was built in the 11th century by Kvirike III of Kakheti, replacing an older church of St. George.

History

The monastery was founded by the Assyrian monk Joseph (Yoseb, Amba) Alaverdeli, who came from Antioch and settled in Alaverdi, then a small village and former pagan religious center dedicated to the Moon. At a height of over 55 m (180 ft), Alaverdi Cathedral was the tallest religious building in Georgia, until the construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, which was consecrated in 2004. However its overall size is smaller than the cathedral of Svetitskhoveli in Mtskheta. The monastery is the focus of the annual religious celebration Alaverdoba. Situated in the heart of the world's oldest wine region, the monks also make their own wine, known as Alaverdi Monastery Cellar.[1]

Burials

References

  1. ↑ "I Am Wine: Alaverdi Monastery Cellar". Archived from the original on 2012-05-16. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
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