Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

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According to legend, the robe of Jesus Christ was buried in Iberia. Saint Nino, in the early 4th century, knew about this and journeyed from her native Cappadocia to Iberia in 320 AD in search of this relic.

Anastasius and her husband were childless and deeply saddened by it. Then, Saint Nino had a vision: a radiant man appeared to her and said, "Enter this garden, there under the cedars is a small vine ready to bloom with fragrant flowers. Take soil from this place, have those people eat it, and they will have a son." Many miracles were performed there by Nino, and it became her sanctuary.

When the king and the entire nation eagerly converted to Christianity even before the arrival of priests, the king asked Saint Nino, "I am eager to build a house of God, but where should I build it?" Saint Nino replied, "Wherever you decide, O king." Then the king said to her, "I love your blackberry thicket and have decided to build it here. I will not be deterred by this royal garden, the towering cedars, the fruitful vines, and the sweet-smelling flowers. For you have seen a vision of black birds with immodest wings washing in water and turning white, perching on trees and singing sweetly. Truly, this earthly garden shall be replaced by an eternal garden, and there we will build a house of God for prayers until the arrival of priests from Greece."

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In the second half of the 5th century, King Vakhtang I Gorgasali built a basilica on the site of this church, which was a elongated rectangular building with two rows of columns inside.

In the 11th century, the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was built on the site of this church, dedicated to the 12 apostles. It is considered one of Georgia's main cathedrals and a place of pilgrimage for many Georgians. In 1994, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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