BAGRATI CATHEDRAL

Bagrati is one of the most bizarre and, at the same time, most representative stories of contemporary Georgia. It was the country's most photogenic ruin, in the vein of Soissons Cathedral in France. With an added symbolism: the Ottoman armies were responsible for the destruction of one of the country's three major cathedrals, and these remains were to bear witness to this. It was rebuilt in several stages over the course of the ^20th century, and in 2012 the ^12th-century ruins even received a new dome and a glass wall! Photos on the outside of the building illustrate the various stages of reconstruction.

The Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin, known as Bagrati because it was built in the ^11th century by King Bagrat III, was one of the three pillar cathedrals of Golden Age Georgia in the Middle Ages, along with Svétitskhovéli in Kartlie and Alaverdi in Kakhetia. David the Reconstructor was crowned here. But the Imeretian cathedral was less fortunate than its two sisters.

A royal castle and citadel once stood atop the Oukimérioni hill. In the ^6th century, it was one of the most important castles in Georgia. After the construction of Bagrati, the ensemble was to be monumental. The cathedral had already been damaged by the Turks, who set fire to it in 1510. In 1692, an explosion caused again by Turkish troops led to the collapse of the roof and dome. In the ^18th century, the ups and downs of confrontation with the ever-advancing Turks led to further destruction, this time by Georgians. In 1769, Solomon ^I, King of Imeretia, supported by the troops of the Russian general Todtleben, bombarded the citadel and castle from the opposite hill, Mtsvané Kvavila, while the Turkish pasha was occupying the site with his garrison. The Russo-Georgian army was victorious, but the castle was completely ruined.

Today, it's easy to distinguish between the original stones in the lower and middle sections and those added in 2012 to turn Bagrati into a complete church.

To the north of the church, the ruins of the castle. All that remains are part of the defensive walls, a marani (wine cellar) and a remnant of the church. It's easy to see the unusual size of the complex by Georgian standards. Strolling along the ruined walls is very pleasant, with a magnificent view of the Rioni valley and the Caucasus on one side, Bagrati on the other, and the old town of Koutaïssi in the middle, dominated in the distance by the Meskhetia mountain range.