{{Short description|Georgian Orthodox monastery near Kutaisi, Georgia}} {{Expand language|topic=|langcode=Ka|otherarticle=გელათის მონასტერი|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox religious building | name = Gelati Monastery | native_name = გელათის მონასტერი | infobox_width = | image = Gelati Monastery 1.jpg | image_size = 275 px | alt = | caption = The monastic complex of Gelati | map_type = Georgia Imereti#Georgia | map_size = | map_relief = yes | location = Kutaisi, Imereti, Georgia | coordinates = {{coord|42|17|41|N|42|46|05|E|type:landmark_region:GE-IM|display=inline,title}} | religious_affiliation = Georgian Orthodox Church | rite = | state = | province = | territory = | prefecture = | sector = | district = | cercle = | municipality = | consecration_year = | status = | functional_status = | heritage_designation = | leadership = | website = | architecture = yes | architect = | architecture_type = Monastery | architecture_style = Georgian | founded_by = David IV of Georgia ("David the Builder") | general_contractor = | facade_direction = | groundbreaking = | year_completed = Church of the Virgin, 1106; <br> Churches of St. George and St. Nicholas, 13th century | construction_cost = | specifications = | capacity = | length = | width = | width_nave = | height_max = | dome_quantity = | dome_height_outer = | dome_height_inner = | dome_dia_outer = | dome_dia_inner = | minaret_quantity = | minaret_height = | spire_quantity = | spire_height = | materials = | nrhp = | added = | refnum = | designation1 = WHS | designation1_offname = Gelati Monastery | designation1_date = 1994 <small> (18th session)</small> | designation1_type = Cultural | designation1_criteria = iv | designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/710 710] | designation1_free1name = Region | designation1_free1value = Europe and North America<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/&order=region Europe and North America], UNESCO, 2021</ref> | designation2 = Immovable Cultural Monument of National Significance of Georgia | designation2_offname = Gelati Monastery | designation2_type = | designation2_criteria = | designation2_date = {{start date and age|2006|11|07}} | designation2_partof = | designation2_number = 875 | designation2_free1name = Item Number in Cultural Heritage Portal | designation2_free1value = [https://memkvidreoba.gov.ge/objects/immovable/immovableObject?id=8550 8550] | designation2_free2name = Date of entry in the registry | designation2_free2value = {{start date and age|2007|10|03}} }}
'''Gelati''' ({{lang-ka|გელათის მონასტერი}} {{IPA|ka|g̊e̞ɫät̪ʰi|}}) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kaufhold |first=Hubert |date=2011 |title=Gelati Monastery |url=http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy2.library.usyd.edu.au/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_08287 |journal=Religion Past and Present |doi=10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_08287|url-access=subscription }}</ref> it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as a monastic and educational center.
The monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was a cultural, educational and scientific center in medieval Georgia. It is an exemplar of the Georgian Golden Age and a gold aesthetic is employed in the paintings and buildings.<ref name="UNESCO10July2017" /> It was built to celebrate the Orthodox Christian faith in Georgia;<ref>{{Cite book |last=Calma |first=Dragos |title=Reading Proclus and the Book of Causes, Volume 2 |publisher=University College Dublin |year=2020 |location=Dublin}}</ref> some murals found inside the Gelati Monastery church date back to the 12th century.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/Gelati+Monastery |title=World Heritage Site |date=1997–2020}}</ref>
==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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=McClymond |first=Michael |year=2015 |title=Christianity |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3602600022/GVRL?u=usyd&sid=GVRL&xid=ed1e12ca |journal=Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices |volume=1 |pages=119–168}}</ref> 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.<ref name=UNESCOListing/> 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.<ref name=UNESCOListing/><ref>Reinis Fischer. (2015). Gelati Monastery in Georgia. [online] Available at: https://www.reinisfischer.com/gelati-monastery-georgia</ref> 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,<ref name=UNESCOListing>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/710/ |title=Gelati Monastery |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=2025-06-01}}</ref> and people of the time called it "a new Hellas" and "a second Athos".<ref>Chatzidakis, Nano. ''Byzantine Mosaics, Volume 7.'' Athens, Greece: Ekdotike Athenon, 1994, p.22</ref>
==Art== ===Triptychs=== Triptychs were popular during the Byzantine Empire and important in Georgian culture.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dzhindzhikhashvili |first=Zoia |title=Encyclopedia of World Cultures, vol. 6: Russia and Eurasia/China |publisher=Macmillan Reference USA |year=1996 |location=NY}}</ref> 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.<ref>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}}</ref>
===Mosaics=== thumb|left|Sanctuary apse Virgin Mary mosaics (12th century) and murals (16th century). Gelati Monastery 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Most |first=W.G |date=2003 |title=Canon, Biblical |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3407701985/GVRL?u=usyd&sid=GVRL&xid=2e8ca2c8 |journal=New Catholic Encyclopedia |volume=3 |pages=20–34}}</ref> 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.<ref name="UNESCO10July2017"/>
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,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Riggs |first=Thomas |title=Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices. 2nd ed., vol. 2: Countries, Afghanistan to Ghana |publisher=Gale |year=2015 |location=Farmington Hills}}</ref> but halted when the roof of the academy building was replaced by Georgian conservators.<ref name=UNESCOListing/> 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.<ref name="UNESCOListing" /><ref name="UNESCO10July2017">{{Cite web |title=Gelati Monastery, Georgia, removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1692/ |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref>
==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 *Bagrat III of Imereti *David IX of Georgia *George V of Georgia *Alexander II of Imereti *George of Chqondidi *Tamar of Georgia
==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Kutaisi, Gelati Monastery Fresco.jpg|The Maundy, mural Image:Gelati fresco 04.JPG|The Lamentation of Christ, mural Image:Gelati fresco 03.JPG|[[Palm Sunday|The Palm Sunday, mural 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:Gelati Monastery, Cathedral of the Virgin (35923031712).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:Gelati fresco 05.JPG|Frescoes in the cathedral Image:2014 Imeretia, Gelati, Monastyr Gelati (44).jpg|Frescoes in the cathedral Image:Frescoes in chapel. Gelati monastery, Kutaisi, Georgia.jpg|Frescoes in the cathedral Image:Gelati Gospels. The Crucifixion.jpg|The Crucifixion in the Medieval Georgian Gospel Manuscript from Gelati Image:Gelati monastery (July 2012).jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:Gelati Monastery, Georgia, Sept. 2007-2.jpg|Gelati Monastery Image:Gelati (state.gov).PNG|Shrine in the monastery church Image:2010-04-02 Klosteranlage Gelati (Georgien).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:Georgia Tondo StMamai 11th century.jpg|Tondo of Saint Mammes from Gelati Monastery, 14th–15th centuries </gallery>
==See also== *Culture of Georgia *Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church *Motsameta monastery *World Heritage Sites in Danger
==References== {{Reflist}} ; Attribution *''Adapted from the Wikinfo article [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195247/http://www.wikinfo.org/wiki.phtml?title=Gelati_Monastery_by_Levan_Urushadze Gelati Monastery by Levan Urushadze], licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.''
==Further reading== * {{cite journal|last=Chichinadze|first=Nina|title=Some Compositional Characteristics of Georgian Triptychs of the Thirteenth Through Fifteenth Centuries|journal=Gesta|volume=35|issue=1|year=1996|pages=66–76|doi=10.2307/767227|jstor=767227|ref={{sfnref|Chichinadze|1996}}}} * {{cite book|last1=Derlemenko|first1=Yevhen Anatoliiovych|last2=Gigilashvili|first2=Eduard|title=Gelati: Architecture, Mosaic, Frescoes (Fotoalbom)|location=Tbilisi|publisher=Khelovneba|year=1982|language=ru|ref={{sfnref|Derlemenko|Gigilashvili|1982}}}} * {{cite encyclopedia|last=Kaufhold|first=Hubert|title=Georgian Monasteries|encyclopedia=Religion Past and Present Online|publisher=Brill|year=2011|doi=10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_08426|language=en|ref={{sfnref|Kaufhold|2011}}}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Gelati Monastery}} *[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/710 Gelati Monastery]—UNESCO World Heritage Centre *[http://www.bourgogneromane.com/byzantine.htm Byzantine Art] at Le site sur l'Art Roman en Bourgogne
{{Georgian Churches}} {{World Heritage Sites in Georgia}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1106 establishments in Europe Category:Buildings and structures in Kutaisi Category:Burial sites of European royal families Category:Education in the Kingdom of Georgia Category:Georgian Orthodox church buildings in Georgia (country) Category:Georgian Orthodox monasteries Category:Immovable Cultural Monuments of National Significance of Georgia Category:Tourist attractions in Imereti Category:World Heritage Sites in Danger Category:World Heritage Sites in Georgia (country)