(THE LIFE GIVING PILLAR)
Note: All the images are personally clicked by me. Contact me for bigger size images.
After Jvari monastery, our next destination was to visit the Svetitskhoveli church and the surrounding complex. The church is situated in a huge complex, one can name it as Svetitskhoveli Complex. It was built in the early 11th century and is the place where Georgian kings were crowned and buried. The cathedral is one of the most sacred places in Georgia and the place where Christ’s robe is said to be buried. Admission to the cathedral is free. The cathedral comes under UNESCO world heritage list. In Georgian “sveti” means "pillar" and tskhoveli means "life-giving" or "living", hence the name of the cathedral.
Before we enter the church we need to pass through the complex, which is one of the major tourist attractions. One can buy local local goodies and many other things from the complex.
Entrance towards the complex: You are welcomed by souvenir shops, wine shops and local restaurants.
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| Entrance towards the complex |
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| The Souvenir shops |
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| OKAY...... Lets Start !!! |
We are welcomed by shops selling local foods & products; You can find wine shops in and every corners. One can get a chance to taste even the wine ice cream.
Georgian wines for 10 GEL in handcrafted bottles:
Inside view from a Georgian Wine Shop:
The Kids exploring the complex........ they had a good time....
After a long walk through the complex we have reached the church. This is a must watch. It is currently the second largest church building in Georgia. It was feeling like you are travelling back in time.
We in front of the miniature church
Detailed information:
A tunnel like pathway leading to the church:
The CATHEDRAL:
Some Interior views of the church
Views from the exterior of the church:
After a walk around the cathedral, we walked down to the complex
A type of snack, which the soldiers used to carry during the time of war; It is made by preserved vegetables, spices, grape juice and flour
Handmade Soft toys for sale
A juice vendor @ the complex, serving delicious pomegranate juice... His first question.... You are from India.... Our answer is yes.... then suddenly he sings "Rajkumar Songs";
It is happy to watch him sing and enjoy, One huge glass of juice cost you only 5 GEL and he is happy posing for us. After a long walk inside the complex, it was refreshing to have a cup of juice before we approached the bus for our next point.
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