MARTVILI MONASTERY

This is the most important monastery in Mingrelia. It dates from the end of the 10th century. The church of the Virgin Mary dates from the 7th century, but its present structure was built in the 14th century. Martvili was the episcopal pulpit of the Georgian Orthodox Church until the Russian conquest. The frescoes of the 14th and 17th centuries once covered the whole church. Some of them are preserved; they depict kings, noblemen and donors alongside traditional icons. The monks have partly renovated the church and its esplanade, to the detriment of historical authenticity.