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Green Monastery - Mtsvane Monasteri Green Monastery, or Mtsvane Monasteri in Georgian, is a monastery nestled in the green countryside in the village of Chitakhevi, not far from the spa town of Borjomi. The mixed forest, the bubbling mountain stream, the fresh air and the opportunity for a short hike or simply a walk around the monastery make the Green Monastery a special place. The name The monastery's name, Green Monastery, or "Mzwane Monasteri" in Georgian, comes mainly from the green forest landscape, but the church's buildings, especially the bell tower, also have a slightly greenish colour. This colour is best seen after rain. Monastery complex 1. Three-nave Basilica 9th to 10th century History of Green Monastery The monastery was probably founded in the 9th or 10th century by the monks Christopher and Tevdore, disciples of Gregory of Khanzta, a prominent Georgian church figure. Architecturally, the style of the church also belongs to this period, but there is no official written record of when the monastery was founded. The numerous ruins of monks' cells and other buildings indicate that there was once a large monastery with many clergy. The monastery first appears in written records in the 16th century, when the Persian Shah Tahmasp the first destroyed it and executed the monks living there. According to oral tradition, the stones in the stream next to the monastery have been red with the blood of the monks since the massacre. One of these stones can also be seen inside the church, next to the icon of St George. The Green Monastery, like the whole area, was under Ottoman influence for a long time, and the monastery, which had been neglected for several centuries, was only restored between 1978 and 1988. The Green Monastery was reconsecrated in 2002, and since then monks have lived there permanently, holding regular services and liturgies. Three-nave Basilica dedicated to St George The church has the architectural form of a three-nave basilica and is built of roughly hewn quarry stone blocks. Dimensions: 14.5 by 19.2 metres As there are no official sources on the year of construction of the church, scholars conclude from the structural features that the monastery dates from the 9th or 10th century. The exterior of the church is barely decorated and the interior has only recently been frescoed. Small fragments of frescoes from the 12th and 13th centuries have been preserved in the western apse of the church. Bell Tower Located a few metres to the south of the church, the bell tower was built in the 15th and 16th centuries of light green quarry stone. The tower has two floors: On the first floor there is a small prayer room with icons and the bones of the monks executed by the Persians in the 16th century. The façades of the second floor are decorated with various ornaments. Among them is an ornament depicting St George and the Dragon. In 2006, the Green Monastery was declared a cultural monument of national importance. |
