MARTVILI MONASTERY

In the region of Sénaki it is a beautiful excursion in the deep Mingrélie. It is located at the top of the mingréliens foothills, at the foot of the Caucasus, in a magnificent landscape. The monastery dates from the end of the th century; The Church of the Virgin dates from the th century, but its current structure comes from the fourteenth century. This is one of the most important sanctuaries in West Georgia, after Guélati. Martvili was the episcopal chair of the Georgian Orthodox Church until the Russian conquest. There were also buried monarchs of the Middle Ages. The frescoes of the th and th centuries covered the whole church; some of them are retained; they represent kings, nobles and donors alongside traditional iconography.

Recently, the monks revived the complex, asphaltant the road, build dependencies, stairs, ramps, by even partially restoring the church and its esplanade, to the detriment of historical authenticity.

The monastery is located on the hill above the small town of Martvili, very well connected by marchroutka in Koutaïssi and Zugdidi. You can walk on foot (1,5 km). Magnificent views at the summit.