Gelati Monastery

A wonder of Georgia’s Golden Age, Gelati is a medieval monastery complex with three churches begun in 1106 by King David IV of the Bagrationi dynasty (David the Builder). Gelati was one of the most significant cultural centres of Georgia. Education was very important to the enlightened King David and during his reign a number of schools and academies were established. Gelati’s Academy – like that in Kakheti at Ikalto – employed some of the most celebrated Georgian theologians, philosophers, scholars and scientists of the age. It has revealed many ancient qvevri. Despite being attacked over the centuries, Gelati is very well preserved and contains beautiful frescoes, mosaics and manuscripts. King David died in 1125 and, at his behest, is buried under the gatehouse to the Academy. Gelati is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.