Gelati Monastery
Encyclopedia
The Monastery of Gelati is a monastic complex near Kutaisi
, Imereti
, western Georgia
. It contains the Church of the Virgin founded by the King of Georgia David the Builder in 1106, and the 13th-century churches of St George and St Nicholas.
The Gelati Monastery for a long time was one of the main cultural and intellectual centers in Georgia. It had an Academy which employed some of the most celebrated Georgian scientists, theologians and philosophers, many of whom had previously been active at various orthodox monasteries abroad or at the Mangan Academy in Constantinople
. Among the scientists were such celebrated scholars as Ioane Petritsi
and Arsen Ikaltoeli.
Due to the extensive work carried out by the Gelati Academy, people of the time called it "a new Hellas
" and "a second Athos
".
The Gelati Monastery has preserved a great number of murals and manuscripts dating back to the 12th-17th centuries. The Khakhuli triptych
had also been enshrined at Gelati until being stolen in 1859.
In Gelati is buried one of the greatest Georgian kings, David the Builder. Near his grave are the gates of Ganja
, which were taken as trophies by king Demetrius I in 1139.
In 1994, Gelati Monastery was recognized by UNESCO
as a World Heritage Site
. The site was included in the 2008 World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites by the World Monuments Fund
to draw attention to deterioration caused by prolonged neglect.
Adapted from the Wikinfo article Gelati Monastery by Levan Urushadze, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License
.
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
, Imereti
Imereti
Imereti is a province in Georgia situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river. It consists of the following Georgian administrative-territorial units:#Kutaisi #Baghdati region#Vani region#Zestafoni region...
, western Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. It contains the Church of the Virgin founded by the King of Georgia David the Builder in 1106, and the 13th-century churches of St George and St Nicholas.
The Gelati Monastery for a long time was one of the main cultural and intellectual centers in Georgia. It had an Academy which employed some of the most celebrated Georgian scientists, theologians and philosophers, many of whom had previously been active at various orthodox monasteries abroad or at the Mangan Academy in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. Among the scientists were such celebrated scholars as Ioane Petritsi
Ioane Petritsi
Ioane Petritsi was a Georgian Neoplatonic philosopher of the 11th or 12th century, best known for his translations of Proclus, along with an extensive commentary...
and Arsen Ikaltoeli.
Due to the extensive work carried out by the Gelati Academy, people of the time called it "a new Hellas
Hellenic Greece
Ancient Greece in the eighth through fourth centuries BC, between the Greek Dark Ages and the Hellenistic period, is referred to as Hellenic Greece. It is made up of two epochs:*Archaic Greece...
" and "a second Athos
Mount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
".
The Gelati Monastery has preserved a great number of murals and manuscripts dating back to the 12th-17th centuries. The Khakhuli triptych
Khakhuli triptych
The Khakhuli triptych is a partially preserved large repoussé triptych icon of the Theotokos created in medieval Georgia. It incorporates over 100 specimens of Georgian and Byzantine cloisonné enamel dated from the 8th to the 12th century...
had also been enshrined at Gelati until being stolen in 1859.
In Gelati is buried one of the greatest Georgian kings, David the Builder. Near his grave are the gates of Ganja
Ganja, Azerbaijan
Ganja is Azerbaijan's second-largest city with a population of around 313,300. It was named Yelizavetpol in the Russian Empire period. The city regained its original name—Ganja—from 1920–1935 during the first part of its incorporation into the Soviet Union. However, its name was changed again and...
, which were taken as trophies by king Demetrius I in 1139.
In 1994, Gelati Monastery was recognized by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. The site was included in the 2008 World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites by the World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training....
to draw attention to deterioration caused by prolonged neglect.
Burials
- Demetrius I of Georgia
- David IV of GeorgiaDavid IV of GeorgiaDavid IV "the Builder", also known as David II , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Georgia from 1089 until his death in 1125....
- Solomon I of ImeretiSolomon I of ImeretiSolomon I , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was King of Imereti from 1752 to 1766 and again from 1768 until his death in 1784....
- Solomon II of ImeretiSolomon II of ImeretiSolomon II , of the Bagrationi Dynasty, was the last King of Imereti from 1789 to 1790 and from 1792 until his deposition by the Imperial Russian government in 1810....
- George III of GeorgiaGeorge III of GeorgiaGiorgi III , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia from 1156 to 1184. His reign, and that of Tamar, are seen as the 'golden age' of Georgian history, the era of empire, diplomatic success, military triumphs, great learning, cultural, spiritual, and artistic flowering.-Life:He succeeded on...
- Vakhtang II of GeorgiaVakhtang II of GeorgiaVakhtang II , of the dynasty of Bagrationi, was king of Georgia from 1289 to 1292. He reigned during the Mongol dominance of Georgia....
- Bagrat VI of GeorgiaBagrat VI of GeorgiaBagrat VI , a representative of the Imeretian branch of the Bagrationi royal house, was a king of Imereti from 1463, and a king of Georgia from 1465 until his death.-Life:...
- George V of GeorgiaGeorge V of GeorgiaGeorge V, the "Brilliant" was King of Georgia from 1299 to 1302 and again from 1314 until his death. A flexible and far-sighted politician, he recovered Georgia from a century-long Mongol domination, restoring the country’s previous strength and Christian culture.-Reign:George was born to King...
- Alexander II of ImeretiAlexander II of ImeretiAlexander II was a king of Georgia in 1478 and of Imereti from 1483 to 1510.In 1478, his father Bagrat VI died and Alexander became king of Georgia, initially ruling its two major regions, Imereti in the west and Kartli in the east. Alexander was expelled from the kingdom by a rival prince...
- George of ChqondidiGeorge of ChqondidiGeorge of Chqondidi was a Georgian churchman and court minister best known as a tutor and the closest adviser of King David IV of Georgia George of Chqondidi (died c. 1118) was a Georgian churchman and court minister best known as a tutor and the closest adviser of King David IV of Georgia...
See also
- Culture of Georgia
- Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic ChurchGeorgian Orthodox and Apostolic ChurchThe Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church is an autocephalous part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since the 4th century AD, Georgian Orthodoxy has been the state religion of Georgia, and it remains the country's largest religious institution....
External links
Adapted from the Wikinfo article Gelati Monastery by Levan Urushadze, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License
GNU Free Documentation License
The GNU Free Documentation License is a copyleft license for free documentation, designed by the Free Software Foundation for the GNU Project. It is similar to the GNU General Public License, giving readers the rights to copy, redistribute, and modify a work and requires all copies and...
.