Travel Guide Ikalto

It is a site marked by serenity. The monastery of Ikalto, surrounded by cypress trees, stands in a harmonious site, away from the tribulations of the world. It was here in the Middle Ages that one of the two most important academies of Georgia was located, along with that of Guelati in Amereto. It was established during the reign of David the Builder in the 11th century by the philosopher Arsene Ikaltoeli.The monastery was founded by Zenon, one of the thirteen Syrian fathers who evangelized Georgia, in the 6th century, and transformed into an academy, Ikalto became a major centre of knowledge and science. Theology, philosophy, rhetoric, geography, geometry and astronomy were taught there. Winemaking and viticulture techniques were also taught, as evidenced by the wine cellars and workshops uncovered during excavations. The illustrious national poet Chota Roustaveli is said to have studied here. The complex was severely damaged by the troops of Shah Abbas of Iran in 1616.The complex consists of three churches and the academy. The main church, Khvtaeba, has survived the centuries best. It was erected by Zeno and houses his tomb, but its present structure dates from the 8th and 9th centuries. The brick dome was added in the 19th century. The walls, decorated with frescoes, were whitewashed by the Russians. Surrounded by cypress trees, in the hollow of the mountains, it has a calm and majestic appearance. The remains of the academy can be seen directly on its right. East of Khvtaeba, the small 6th century Trinity Church (Sameba) contains a crypt. The third church, Kvelatsminda (All Saints), is a one-nave basilica from the 12th and 13th centuries.