Gelati Monastery

Overview and description

The monastery is located on a hill several kilometers to the northeast of Kutaisi. It also overlooks the Tskaltsitela Gorge. It is constructed of solid stone, with full archways. The plan of the main monastery was designed in the shape of a cross, the symbol of Jesus's crucifixion and of Christianity. The monastery was designed to be visible over much of the country, with its stone walls constructed to reflect sunlight. There are archways throughout the monastery, including the bell tower.

History

Construction began on the Gelati Monastery in 1106, under the direction of King David IV of Georgia, at which time Kutaisi was the capital of Georgia. It was constructed during the reign of the Byzantine Empire; in this period Christianity was the ruling religion throughout the empire. The monastery's main church, known as the Church of the Blessed Virgin, was completed in 1130, under the reign of David IV's successor, Demetrius I of Georgia, and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The monastery is also the burial site of King David IV, near which the Ancient Gates of Ganja, which were taken by King Demetrius I in 1138, can be found. The smaller chapels within the monastery date to the 13th century.

In addition to its religious purpose, the monastery was also constructed to function as an academy of science and education in Georgia: King David IV employed many Georgian scientists, theologians, and philosophers, many of whom had previously been active at various Orthodox monasteries abroad, such as the Mangana Monastery in Constantinople. Among its notable scholars were Ioane Petritsi, who translated several classics of philosophy but is best known for his commentaries on Proclus; and Arsen Ikaltoeli, known for his Dogmatikon, or book of teachings, influenced by Aristotle. The Gelati Academy employed scribes to compile manuscript copies of important works, and people of the time called it "a new Hellas" and "a second Athos".

Art

Triptychs

Triptychs were popular during the Byzantine Empire and important in Georgian culture. The triptychs represented another form of contribution to the church. Triptychs were a form of iconography for the congregation.

One of the most valuable icons housed in the monastery was the Khakhuli triptych, which was enshrined in the Gelati Monastery from the 12th century until being stolen in 1859. Although returned in 1923, it was in a reduced condition.

Mosaics

The interiors of the monastery hold mosaics in classic Byzantine style illustrating aspects of Christian belief. The largest, a 12th-century masterpiece depicting the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, dominates the apse of the main church, and is an artwork of cultural importance in Georgia. Above the altar is situated a statue of the Virgin Mary, looking down at the baby Jesus she is holding.

Conservation

In 1994, it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, together with Bagrati Cathedral under a single listing.

The monastery is still active and its churches continue to be regularly used for religious service. Under the supervision of UNESCO the site is being continually restored and protected. All the original structures of the monastery are intact and functional.

The mosaics and murals were damaged prior to UNESCO conservation, but halted when the roof of the academy building was replaced by Georgian conservators. By presidential decree, the monastery was added to the National Register of Monuments for protection and restoration in 2006.

In 2010, the World Heritage Site listing was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. In 2017, Bagrati Cathedral was delisted from the World Heritage Site, whereas the monastery was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and retained its World Heritage status.

Burials

• Demetrius I of Georgia
• David IV of Georgia
• David V of Georgia
• Solomon I of Imereti
• Solomon II of Imereti
• George III of Georgia
• Vakhtang II of Georgia
• Bagrat V of Georgia
• Bagrat VI of Georgia
• David IX of Georgia
• George V of Georgia
• Alexander II of Imereti
• George of Chqondidi
• Tamar of Georgia

Gallery

Image:Gelati monastery (July 2012).jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:Gelati 1661.jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:Gelati Theotokos.jpg|Mother of God, mosaic fresco Image:Gelati archangel.jpg|Archangel Michael, mosaic fresco Image:Gelati Ascension.jpg|The Ascension, mural (16th century) Image:King David IV the Builder. Gelati fresco.jpg|David IV of Georgia, mural Image:Gelati (4).jpg|Icon of St. George in front of the iconostasis Image:Georgia Gelati monastery near Kutaisi church of Virgin Mary the Blessed mural of Christ on ceiling of the central dome XII century.JPG|Gelati monastery, church of Virgin Mary the Blessed. Mural of Christ Pantokrator on ceiling of the central dome (12th century) Image:Georgia, Gelati monastery, Church of Virgin the Blessed, mosaic+mural depicting Theotokos, Angels Michael and Gabriel, Arc de Triomphe.jpg|Gelati monastery, Church of Virgin the Blessed, mosaic and mural in the apse depicting Theotokos, Archangels Michael and Gabriel. Arc de Triomphe Image:Georgia, Imereti, Gelati monastery, Church of Virgin the Blessed. Mural on north wall. Queen Rusudan, Prince Bagrat, King George II, Queen Helen, King Bagrat III of Imereti, Catholicos Yevclemon Chetidze, David the Builder.jpg|Gelati monastery, Church of Virgin the Blessed. Mural on north wall. From left to right: Queen Rusudan, Prince Bagrat, King George II, Queen Helen, King Bagrat III of Imereti, Catholicos Yevdemon Chetidze, David the Builder Image:Georgia, Gelati monastery. Church of Virgin the Blessed. Mural..jpg|Gelati monastery. Church of Virgin the Blessed. Mural. Image:Gelati (state.gov).PNG|Shrine in the monastery church Image:Gelati monastery.jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:Gelati monastery (4).jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:Gelati monastery (3).jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:Gelati Monastery 2.jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:Gelati Monastery 1.jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:Gelati Monastery 4.jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:2014 Imeretia, Gelati, Monastyr Gelati (02).jpg|St. George church Image:2014 Imeretia, Gelati, Monastyr Gelati (10).jpg|St. Nicholas church Image:2014 Imeretia, Gelati, Monastyr Gelati (08).jpg|Belfry Image:2014 Imeretia, Gelati, Monastyr Gelati (19).jpg|Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Image:2014 Imeretia, Gelati, Monastyr Gelati (07).jpg|Portal in the cathedral Image:2014 Imeretia, Gelati, Monastyr Gelati (34).jpg|Frescoes in the cathedral Image:2014 Imeretia, Gelati, Monastyr Gelati (44).jpg|Frescoes in the cathedral Image:Gelati Monastery- academy, church of St. Nicholas and bell-tower.jpg|Gelati Monastery

References

; Attribution

• Adapted from the Wikinfo article Gelati Monastery by Levan Urushadze, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.

References

1. [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/&order=region Europe and North America], [[UNESCO]], 2021
2. Kaufhold, Hubert. (2011). "Gelati Monastery". Religion Past and Present.
3. Calma, Dragos. (2020). "Reading Proclus and the Book of Causes, Volume 2". University College Dublin.
4. (1997–2020). "World Heritage Site".
5. McClymond, Michael. (2015). "Christianity". Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices.
6. Reinis Fischer. (2015). Gelati Monastery in Georgia. [online] Available at: https://www.reinisfischer.com/gelati-monastery-georgia
7. "Gelati Monastery". [[UNESCO]].
8. Chatzidakis, Nano. ''Byzantine Mosaics, Volume 7.'' [[Athens]], [[Greece]]: Ekdotike Athenon, 1994, p.22
9. Dzhindzhikhashvili, Zoia. (1996). "Encyclopedia of World Cultures, vol. 6: Russia and Eurasia/China". Macmillan Reference USA.
10. Eastmond, Antony (2001), ''Eastern approaches to Byzantium: papers from the Thirty-third Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry, March 1999'', pp. 216-217. Ashgate/Variorum, {{ISBN. 0-7546-0322-9, {{ISBN. 978-0-7546-0322-1
11. Most, W.G. (2003). "Canon, Biblical". New Catholic Encyclopedia.
12. Riggs, Thomas. (2015). "Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices. 2nd ed., vol. 2: Countries, Afghanistan to Ghana". Gale.
13. "Gelati Monastery, Georgia, removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger".