Travel Guide Nekressi

It is one of the oldest and most important monastic complexes in Kakhetia. The site dominates the Alazani valley at the foot of the Dagestan range. The Church of the Virgin (built between the 6th and 7th centuries) is thus one of the earliest Christian buildings in Georgia, as is a basilica dating from the 4th century. It is the oldest Christian building to have survived over the centuries. It was built on the very site of a fire temple, dedicated to the cult of Zoroaster. In the 4th century, King Trdat, grandson of King Mirvan III, who converted Iberia to Christianity, had one of the very first Georgian churches built here. One of the thirteen Syrian fathers of the 6th century, Abibos, devoted himself to the conversion of the mountain people. He was killed by the Zoroastrians for drawing water from a temple of fire. Abibos made Nekressi an episcopal pulpit, and the monastery remained important throughout the Middle Ages. The small basilica is said to have retained its original form, with an open façade. Thus the faithful who could not enter could follow the service from outside. The monastery was the object of numerous attacks by Muslim armies. A legend tells that during an attack by Iranian soldiers, the Georgians rolled pigs in their direction. The army dispersed, sparing Nekressi. From then on, the pig was declared the protector of Nekressi. Since then, the Church of the Virgin is known to be the only Christian building where pigs are sacrificed in Georgia. The architecture of the monastic complex is original. The design would come from the creativity of the builders, who would never have seen a basilica to take it as a model. The main building of the Church of the Virgin has three naves, dividing the building into three almost separate parts. Its 16th-century frescoes and inscriptions are extremely well preserved. The complex also includes an episcopal palace from the 9th century with the unmissable marani, the wine cellar. Wine has therefore been a major element in Georgian culture since the dawn of time.