About Telavi

Telavi is one of the oldest center of the Kakheti region. The first settlements appeared here in the serotinous Bronze epoch, developed in the Hellenistic period and then in the late antique era at this base formed urban-type settlement.

From the structures of V-VI centuries there are interesting ancient monuments in Telavi like Transfiguration Monastery, founded in the V century and rebuilt later.

In the core of the town attracts the attention an impressive manor castle of XVII-XVIII centenaries, the quondam royal residency. This complex consists of an old fortress wall, Palace, 2 churches, baths and a tunnel.

Of the nearby historical monuments are significant Tsinandali, Nekresi, Ikalto, Grami, Alaverdi, Bodbe and others.

Tsinandali is disposed on the right riverside of Kisiskhevi, 10 km away from Telavi. This is a museum house of the great Georgian poet and public figure Alexander Chavchavadze, with magnificent and rich decorative park. In the parkland there is a small church where married Nino Chavchavadze and the great Russian writer Alexander Griboyedov. The celebrated French writer A. Dumas wrote that Tsinandali in July like the Palace of the fairies. There are mixed flowers, grapes, pomegranate, lemon and roses.
Plants and fruits bloom at the same period and the air is saturated with numerous mixed with each other flavor.

In the Alazani lowland, 20 km from Telavi, proudly, like a white swan raises Alaverdi Cathedral. Monastery of St. George was founded in the sixth century by Joseph Alaverdeli.

It is the Orthodox Church, which is part of the world heritage and protected by UNESCO since 2007.

Alaverdi is the second tallest religious edifice in the whole Georgia, with a massive bell tower up to 50 meters. Its facade, monumental and solemn, has a number of niches and arches. Despite the destruction of two chapels in the nineteenth century, restoration work carried out here; support the good condition of the cathedral. This is a wonderful exemplar of medieval Georgian architectonics.

The minster is surrounded by fertile fields and vineyards, the land where more than 1500 years of irrigated by water of Alazani. That’s why here are grown the unique species of grapes and produced special wines as Saperavi, Rkatsiteli and others.

To the west side of Telavi 7-8 km. the distance is the Monastery Ikalto, which established in 6th century by Holy Father Zenon and operated as a cultural and academic center. Since 1962, the festival Shotaoba is held annually and dedicated to the great Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli, who studied here (XII century).

Important architectural monuments are the Old and New Shuamta Monasteries. The architectural ensemble of the Old Shuamta in the northwest of Telavi is an example of the old style where buried a prominent poet and romantic of XIX century A. Chavchavadze. While the New Shuamta dates back to the XVI century.