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29-503: Mtskheta Municipality is located in Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of eastern Georgia . Its administrative center is the city of Mtskheta. The municipality is bordered by Sagarejo Municipality to the east, Kaspi Municipality to the west, Dusheti and Tianeti to the north, Gardabani and Tetritskaro municipalities and also Tbilisi to the south. The region is characterized by a variety of natural conditions. The territory of Mtskheta

58-663: A UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. As the birthplace and one of the most vibrant centers of Christianity in Georgia , Mtskheta was declared the " Holy City " by the Georgian Orthodox Church in 2014. In 2016, the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta were placed by UNESCO under Enhanced Protection, a mechanism established by the 1999 Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in

87-517: A regional capital, together with its district and the adjoining mountainous areas. The western part of the region, namely the entire Akhalgori Municipality , is controlled by breakaway South Ossetia since the 2008 Russo-Georgian War . The Mtskheta-Mtianeti region officially comprises five municipalities , yet only four are effectively under Georgian authority: 42°17′N 44°45′E  /  42.283°N 44.750°E  / 42.283; 44.750 This Georgia location article

116-505: Is 10.8 °C and -1.1 °C in January. On the ridges of Skhaltbi and Saguramo, there are mild cold winters and long warm summers. The area was still inhabited during the Bronze Age, as indicated by the settlements of Samtavro, Tsitsamuri, Narekvavi, and other settlements. From the beginning of the I millennium BC, the great shifts characteristic of the life of the largest political entity in

145-421: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mtskheta Mtskheta ( Georgian : მცხეთა , romanized : mtskheta [ˈmtsʰχetʰa] ) is a city in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti , Georgia . It is one of the oldest cities in Georgia as well as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world . It is located approximately 20 km (12 mi) north of Tbilisi , at

174-586: Is a low and mid-mountain region. In its southern part, the Saguramo Ridge is carved, to the south-east is raised the Satskepela Ridge. Its eastern end is called the Armazi Range, which is 1125 m high. There is a hillock of Skhaltbi between the rivers Ksani and Aragvi . One of the main morphological elements of the municipality is the plain of Mukhrani-Saguramo. The Mtkvari River flows on the territory of

203-522: Is also a monument to sculptor Elena Machabeli . A mausoleum of rich woman from 1st century AD was recovered near Mtskheta train station. The structure imitates a house with well-processed quadrats and a fronton . The roof was covered with tile. Among the findings inside the mausoleum was a small bronze statue of young man playing flute. The Historical Monuments of Mtskheta were on UNESCO 's List of World Heritage in Danger , citing "serious deterioration of

232-497: Is elected every four years. The last election was held in October 2021 . 41°51′00″N 44°43′00″E  /  41.8500°N 44.7167°E  / 41.8500; 44.7167 Mtskheta-Mtianeti Mtskheta-Mtianeti ( Georgian : მცხეთა-მთიანეთი , literally "Mtskheta-Mountain Area") is a region ( Mkhare ) in eastern Georgia comprising the town of Mtskheta , which serves as

261-548: The Armaztsikhe acropolis (dating to the late 1st century BC), remains of a "Pompey's bridge" (according to legends built by Roman legionnaires of Pompey the Great in the 1st century BC), the fragmentary remains of a royal palace (1st–3rd century AD), a nearby tomb of the 1st century AD, and the fortress of Bebris tsikhe (14th century). The Institute of Archaeology, and the garden of Mikheil Mamulashvili are also worthy of note. There

290-509: The Bronze Age (beginning of the 1st millennium BC) prove that Mtskheta already was a significant settlement at that period. According to The Georgian Chronicles , Mtskheta was founded by Mtskhetos , the son of Kartlos , eponymous ancestor of the Georgians . The wall around the city was built by Nimrod 's ancestor Ardam. By another version, more accepted by historians, Mtskheta was founded by

319-591: The Hellenistic period : residential houses, palaces and fortifications. A new wall around Mtskheta was built by the first Georgian king, Parnavaz , in the beginning of the 3rd century BC, and later strengthened by his son Saurmag in the late 3rd - early 2nd century BC. In late 2nd - early 1st century BC, king Parnajom strengthened his relations with Persians and invited Zoroastrian priests to settle in Mtskheta. This probably led to construction of Zoroastrian temples in

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348-554: The Umayyad Caliphate 's defeat of the Khazars between 736 and 739, and again when Timur conquered the area in the 15th century. These attacks reduced the size of the city, and by the time Georgia became part of Russia in 1801, it was little more than a village. However, industrialization improved the economic situation of the city. The old city lies at the confluence of the rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi. In recognition of its role in

377-559: The Dormition of the Mother of God, Svetitskhoveli , which survived until the 11th century. The first katolikos was elected in the 5th century, and his residence was in Svetotskhoveli, in Mtskheta. By the 11th century, the earlier basilica of Svetitskhoveli was again too small, and Katolikos Melchizedek I built a new church on top of it. King Dachi of Iberia (early 6th century AD), who was

406-503: The East have also reflected on the history of Mtskheta. The strong cultural invasion of Mtskheta significantly affected the life of the city until the 3rd to 4th centuries. According to legend, the city was founded by the ethnarch Mtskhetos. From the end of the 4th century, BC Mtskheta was the political center of the newly created Kartli (Iberian) kingdom . According to legend, Nino , a missionary from Jerusalem, preached Christianity in Mtskheta at

435-571: The Event of Armed Conflict. Mtskheta is set on a lowland, surrounded by mountains, at the confluence of the two rivers, Kura and Aragvi . The city is approached from the north by the Greater Caucasus and from the south by the Lesser Caucasus mountains. Archeological evidences trace human settlement in the area of Mtskheta from 2nd millennium BC to early 1st millennium AD. Numerous burials of

464-531: The Georgian Christian history, Mtskheta was granted the status of a "Holy City" by Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia in accordance with the written testament of his 11th-century predecessor Melchizedek I of Georgia . Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century), Samtavro Monastery (4th century) and Jvari Monastery (6th century) in Mtskheta are amongst the most significant monuments of Georgian Christian architecture, and are historically significant in

493-448: The ancient Meschian tribes in the 5th century BC . Mtskheta was the capital of the early Georgian Kingdom of Iberia from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD. The chronicles mention that the Kingdom of Iberia and its capital were conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, but certain historians do not accept this. Eventually, the ruler appointed by Alexander ruined

522-416: The beginning of the 4th century. In 326, Mirian III adopted a new religion and Christianity became the state religion. According to legend, by the prayer of St. Nino hurricanes and hail broke out and crushed Armazian idols. At the beginning of the 6th century, Dachi Ujarmeli moved the capital from Mtskheta to Tbilisi. Mtskheta has lost its political significance, though it has remained a religious center. In

551-518: The city. Meanwhile, no such archeological evidence exists. Again the walls of Mtskheta were improved during the reign of Bartom in the 1st century BC, and later also by Aderki , often identified with Pharasmanes I . The latter king is associated with the appearance of the first Christian communities in Kartli and the arrival of the Holy Tunic to Mtskheta, brought from Jerusalem by local Jews . The city

580-451: The confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers. Currently a small provincial capital, for nearly a millennium until the 5th century AD, Mtskheta was a large fortified city and a significant economic and political center of the Kingdom of Iberia . Due to the historical significance of the town and its several outstanding churches and cultural monuments, the "Historical Monuments of Mtskheta" became

609-431: The conversion of Georgia into Christianity, a small wooden church was built in the center of the city, later to become Svetitskhoveli Cathedral . Archeological excavations revealed the remnants of the wooden church within the cathedral. By the 5th century AD the small church was no longer satisfying the growing community of the city, and Vakhtang Gorgasali built a large basilica, the greatest church in Georgia dedicated to

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638-488: The development of medieval architecture throughout the Caucasus . Of special significance are early inscriptions, which form a valuable reference in the study of the origins of the early Georgian alphabet . . Samtavro necropolis , a burial place north of the monastery, is dated between the middle of the 3rd millennium BC and the 10th century. In the outskirts of Mtskheta are the ruins of Armaztsikhe fortress (3rd century BC),

667-508: The district, the main tributaries of which are: Khekordzula, Aragvi, and Dighmistskali. There are also lakes in the region. Mtskheta is distinguished by its diversity of flora and fauna. Saguramo Nature Reserve includes Caucasian deer, Capreolus, brown bear, wolf, fox, lynx, rabbit, otter, and more. There is a moderately humid subtropical climate in Mtskheta municipality. There is a moderately humid climate with hot summers and cold winters on Mukhrani-Saguramo plain. The average annual air temperature

696-547: The early medieval period, there was an active rebuilding of cult buildings in the city. Samtavro, Jvari, Antioch, and more were built during this period. In 736–738, the Arab Commander-Marwan the deaf raided the city and destroyed Armazi Fortress . At the beginning of the 15th century, it was destroyed by Temur lang . The importance of Mtskheta gradually diminished and after the accession of the Kingdom of Kartli to Russia, it

725-419: The successor of Vakhtang I of Iberia , moved the capital from Mtskheta to the more easily defensible Tbilisi according to the will left by his father. Afterwards the importance of Mtskheta began to decline, while that of Tbilisi grew. However, Mtskheta continued as the coronation and burial place for most kings of Georgia until the end of the kingdom in the 19th century. Mtskheta suffered tremendous damage during

754-418: The walls of Mtskheta and left only four fortresses, one of them known today as Armazi . Ancient sources of the 4th-3rd centuries BC mention that Mtskheta had a number of neighborhoods. Among them, Armazis-tsikhe, Tzitzamuri, Jvari and others. Like other Georgian towns it was divided into the city proper and the citadel. Both the excavations and The Georgian Chronicles tell about considerable construction in

783-603: Was a small village in the Dusheti Mazra. Mtskheta became a separate district in 1930–34, today it has the status of a city and a municipality. Mtskheta Municipal Assembly ( Georgian : მცხეთის საკრებულო) is a representative body in Mtskheta Municipality. currently consisting of 27 members. The council is assembled into session regularly, to consider subject matters such as code changes, utilities, taxes, city budget, oversight of city government, and more. Mtskheta sakrebulo

812-513: Was proclaimed the state religion in 337. It remains the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Church . Around that period Mtskheta was a culturally developed city. A gravestone dated between the late 4th and early 5th centuries, found in Samtavro necropolis , contains an epitaph in Greek , telling about the main architect and archizograph (artist) of Mtskheta Aurelius Acholis. In the first years after

841-530: Was strongly fortified at that period. Walls lined both sides of the Mtkvari River, and three forts protected it. The main citadel, Armazi , on Mount Bagineti controlled the entrance from the south and east, Tsitsamuri , at the base of Mount Jvari from the north, and Sarkine from the west. Mtskheta was a site of early Christian activity resulting in the Christianization of Iberia , where Christianity

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