Martvili-Kloster (7. Jahrhundert)

Established in the 7th century, the Martvili Monastery is a Georgian Orthodox monastic complex situated atop a hill in the village of Martvili in Georgia.

Martvili in Greek means martyr, and the Megrelian name ‘Chkondidi’ translates to oak. The site where the monastery stands today was an ancient pagan site where an oak tree was worshiped and infants were sacrificed around it. The oak tree was eventually cut down to make way for the church, which was named in honor of Saint Andrew who first preached Christianity in Georgia.

The cross-domed church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and houses frescoes dating back to the 14th and 17th centuries depicting scenes from the Old Testament and the Gospels, including the famous 17th-century painting of the Virgin Mary on the apse ceiling.

During the Middle Ages, Martvili flourished as a prominent educational center, where monks wrote and translated manuscripts.

King Bagrat IV of Georgia was buried here.

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