Georgia is a country with ancient Orthodox traditions. And its capital Tbilisi is the center of the most majestic and truly unique temples. One of the most important and most visited attractions of the city is Tsminda Sameba – the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi
Sameba Cathedral or the Holy Trinity Cathedral is located on the top of the hill of St. Elijah in one of the most ancient districts of Tbilisi, Avlabari – it is visible from almost every point in the city center. Despite the fact that the temple was built relatively recently, it is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church and amazes the eye with its grandeur and beauty, today it can safely be called one of the symbols of Tbilisi.
One of the features of this temple is the illumination – at night it looks especially amazing and fabulous. Due to the fact that it stands on a hill, beautiful views of the beauty of the city open up from the platforms.
History of Sameba Temple
The idea of building a large cathedral first arose in 1989. Georgia was celebrating two important dates at once – exactly one and a half thousand years of autocephaly of the Georgian church and two thousand years of Christianity. Unfortunately, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the civil war in the country in 1992 postponed the construction of the temple.
The first stone was laid only on November 23, 1995, and construction continued for another nine long years. Nevertheless, the temple in its current form was ready by 2002, when the first service was held in it. It is noteworthy that several holy objects were placed in the foundation of the cathedral, including soil from the holy city of Jerusalem and stones from Mount Zion.
In 2004, on St. George’s Day, the temple was consecrated by the Patriarch of the Georgian Church Ilia II – now the patriarch’s cathedra is located here.
As is known, Tbilisi is located in a seismic zone, and special attention was paid to this fact when designing the cathedral. At the end of the competition, Archil Mindiashvili was chosen as the chief architect of the temple.
According to the documents, the height of the Sameba temple is 101 meters, but in fact it goes underground for another 40 meters. Tsminda Sameba of Georgia is in the top three among the tallest Orthodox churches. For example, the height of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow is 103 meters, and St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg is also exactly 101 meters.
It is believed that the Sameba temple was erected with donations from city residents, but there is an opinion that the patron of the construction was businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili. It will no longer be possible to find out for sure about the financing.
Sameba Church – what’s inside?
Despite the fact that Tsminda Sameba is the main temple of the country, it cannot be called pompous or too official. By the way, Sameba is a very popular name, there are many such churches and temples in Georgia. For example, Batumi has its own Sameba with a beautiful view of the city.
The painting of the walls of the Tbilisi Cathedral is still ongoing. The frescoes are made by different artists, the floor of the cathedral is made of marble and decorated with mosaics. The outer walls of the cathedral deserve special attention – the eastern wall of the temple is especially magnificent.
Today it is somewhat similar not only to a church, but also to a museum. There is always a plaque with the name and a brief description next to the icons. Some of the icons of the temple were painted personally by Patriarch Ilia II.
The most valuable icon in Tsminda Sameba Tbilisi is “Hope of Georgia”. The eye-catching icon of incredible size is made of gold and various precious stones. More than thirty kilograms of gold were used in its creation, and the cost of the icon is currently estimated at about 30 million dollars. It is noteworthy that the icon was made in the ancient Georgian technique of “minankari”.
Near the altar there is a huge handwritten Bible and a large ancient stone with an inscription in Georgian, which is read as the first use of the Georgian alphabet of those found today.
The cross opposite the altar, which has stood in the Jvari temple near Mtskheta since the 6th century, also attracts attention. Some believers believe that it was this cross that Saint Nino stuck into the ground on the mountain above Mtskheta after the baptism of Georgia.
It is advisable to go to the Lower Temple as well – go down the stairs from the Upper Temple or enter from the street. There are almost never people here, it is very quiet and calm. It is definitely worth looking at the two cenotaphs (sarcophagi without a body) of Teimuraz II and Vakhtang VI. Two Georgian kings are buried in Astrakhan, but the Georgian church hopes that one day their remains will be transported to this temple.
What to see on the territory of the complex
Around Tsminda Sameba there are many buildings of different purposes, which together form a whole temple complex – it occupies an area of more than five thousand square meters and can accommodate up to 15 thousand believers. So on the hill they built a monastery, a hotel for believers, a theological academy and seminary, a bell tower and a separate residence for the patriarch. It is worth mentioning the bell tower and nine chapels separately, and only four can be seen at once, the other five are hidden underground.
It is noteworthy that all the cathedral bells are made in Germany and are equipped with both mechanical and electronic modes.
You can walk and relax in the park near the cathedral – there are many flower beds, comfortable benches and fountains with water. They also found a place for a zoo corner – you can admire the peacocks and swans.
Cafe Water Lagidze
An interesting story is connected with the famous throughout the city cafe “Lagidze water”. At the end of the 19th century, Mitrofan Lagidze began selling soft drinks, in the preparation of which he used natural fruits, berries and greens. In Soviet times, the khachapuri “Lagidze Waters” was one of the most favorite places of the local population. But when in our time they began to have problems with rent, Patriarch Ilia II sheltered the establishment on the territory of the temple complex. Now everyone can try khachapuri with lemonade right after visiting the cathedral.
You can choose lemonades to your taste from those presented in the assortment, so far there are only five: cherry, lemon, cream, tarragon and amazing chocolate.
Schedule of services
Services in the Sameba temple are held every Sunday. In addition, services in the temple depend on the time of year and religious holidays. They are always held magnificently and solemnly, reflecting the full strength of the faith of the Georgians. The Georgian people were among the first in the world to accept Christianity, its history from ancient times to the present day is continuously connected with religion, rooted in traditions and the deep past.
To find out details about the services and ask questions, you can call the Georgian Diocese and contact the contact person. The phone number in international format: +995 599 15 99 58.
What to see near Tsminda Sameba
After visiting the main temple of the country and enjoying the views, you can continue your acquaintance with Tbilisi. The church is located in the old part of the city, thanks to which many other attractions are within easy reach.
Not far from Sameba is the presidential palace built during the reign of Saakashvili. If after visiting the temple you are heading to the old part or to Freedom Square, then it will be on your way. The main thing is not to get lost in the curved streets of Avlabari. The palace should be walked around on the right. Then go down to the Baratashvili Bridge.
If you walk along the upper part of the bridge, you can admire the “youth” sculptures.
If you go through the passage inside the bridge, you can admire the street graffiti gallery. Once upon a time, the walls of the passage were unsightly because of the terrible drawings and inscriptions. The city government invited artists and asked them to paint the walls. Walking along it, it is now difficult to resist taking a selfie against the backdrop of beautiful and amazing works.
It is interesting to walk in Rike Park, thanks to the abundance of vegetation and flowers, it is pleasant to be here at any time of the year. However, the park is young and was recently planted, so there are few shady places in it yet. But there are enough benches, sports grounds, drinking fountains and walking paths, which makes the park one of the favorite places for recreation for city residents.
The Bridge of Peace is also definitely worth seeing – this striking structure will not leave anyone without attention. The modern bridge in the center of the old city contrasts significantly with the surrounding landscape. Some people like the boldness of the Italian architect’s project, some are outraged by the idea itself – but no one remains indifferent to the bridge.
How to get to Tsminda Sameba
It is better to plan a trip to the Tsminda Sameba temple for the morning, when there are still very few people, and you can enjoy the silence and peace. Getting to the cathedral is not difficult.
You can come by taxi or take the metro and ride to the Avlabari station, from there it is no more than 10 minutes on foot to the temple. Bus routes No. 91 and No. 122 also lead to the temple. The stop is called “Sameba”.
Opening hours of Tsminda Sameba: 09:00 – 20:00
You can come any day of the week. Visiting the cathedral is, of course, completely free. For a detailed acquaintance with the temple complex and its main attractions, you will need about two to three hours. But usually, 30-40 minutes is enough.
It is best to start with a tour of Tbilisi and use the services of a guide so as not to miss anything interesting about the history of Tsminda Sameba and its decoration.
Photo of Sameba Temple in Tbilisi
The temple is especially beautiful in the glow of night lights and is perfectly visible from Narikala or cafes located near the fortress. And also from the observation deck next to the Upper Betlemi church.
The architecture of the Georgian Trinity Cathedral will not leave anyone indifferent. We suggest you see this for yourself by looking at our photo gallery, taken during multiple visits to this temple.
More about Tbilisi and Georgia:
Best hotels in the mountains of Georgia
Souvenirs – what to bring from Georgia as a gift
Top 6 Restaurants for the Best Khinkali in Tbilisi
Best Hotels in the Center of Tbilisi
My name is Vitaly Kibitlevsky, I am a tour guide and creator of unique quests in Batumi. If you want to walk around the city with a fascinating storyteller or plunge into an exciting adventure, write to the mail: vitkibit@gmail.com
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