Shiomgvime Monastery, 1977

Georgia

Shio-Mgvime Monastery, located 9 kilometers from Mtskheta, sits at an elevation of roughly 750 meters. Founded after 560 AD by St. Shio, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, the monastery served as the burial place and enjoyed the patronage of the Amilakhvari princes for over three centuries. St. Shio initially inhabited a cave on the mountainside, attracting followers who carved their own dwellings into the sandstone cliffs. These caves remain visible today. The first structure, the Church of.. Read more » John the Baptist, was constructed between 560 and 580 AD during St. Shio's lifetime and seemingly retains its original form. St. Shio's relics, once housed within the monastery, were destroyed during the Soviet era. Around 1100 AD, David the Builder erected a second church. After suffering repeated damage from invasions, the monastery was entrusted to the Amilakhvari princes for restoration under King George VIII. Numerous caves dot the surrounding cliffs, easily carved into the soft sandstone and limestone.