This was something of a highlight, the Anchiskhati Basilica of St Mary, which is the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi. It dates from the sixth century when it was constructed under the orders of King Dachi of Iberia, although it had been rebuilt on numerous occasions.
The numerous rebuilds are rather evident from the exterior of the building, some of the repairs are rather more impressive than others. A dome was added in the 1870s, but its religious usage was ended during the Soviet occupation and it became used as a museum of handicrafts.
Following the country’s independence in 1991, the basilica once again returned to religious usage and it once again it belongs to the Georgian Orthodox Church.
I honoured this request, but it was a shame as the interior was beautiful and there were elements of history that I wanted to look into further. There are some photos online for those who want to see inside and this was nearly the one church in the city that made this request.
There appear to be problems though, this review is a little heart-breaking and it’s not the only one along these lines.
“I was asked by the priest to write a note for health and peace, immediately after I entered the church, in a rather intrusive manner. I asked him how much it cost, and he said it was for a donation. I agreed, wrote down the names, put 5 lari on top (that was all the cash I had, I even opened my wallet in front of him, besides, it was my first experience with notes), to which I heard from the priest: “no need for anything, is that money?” This broke my heart and my faith in some of the church employees. I was very upset and left the church in tears. It is very offensive that in such a holy and special place people allow themselves such an attitude”
Sub-optimal, although we didn’t experience any negativity when we were there.