Samtavro monatery

Samtavro Monastery Complex

Samtavro monastery complex - former residence of the lords of Mtskheta is a burial and coronation site of Georgian royal family. The first Christian King, Mirian and his wife Nana are buried in the church. The main building of the complex is the great church of Samtavro. The tiny church of St Nino dates from the 4th c. The church was reconstructed in the 11th century by King George I and Catholicos-Patriarch Melkisedek. In the North-west stands a handsome three-storey bell-tower of 13th c. The South-west buildings have functioned both as a nunnery and theological seminary of the Georgian Orthodox Church.