Samtavro Monastery (Georgian: სამთავროს მონასტერი) is a Georgian Orthodox Christian monastery complex that combines Samtavro Transfiguration Church and Nunnery of 💰 St. Nino in Mtskheta, Georgia. Built presumably in the 4th century by the King Mirian III, and reconstructed in the 💰 11th century by the King George I and Catholicos-Patriarch Melchizedek I, Samtavro is an important Early and High Medieval historical 💰 and architectural monument, and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 along other historical monuments in Mtskheta.[1] 💰 Samtavro church is cross-in-square temple, with arches and other decorations typical for the 11th century Georgian architecture. The graves of 💰 Mirian III and the famous Georgian Saint monk Gabriel are located in the yard of Samtavro Church.[1]
The monastery was constructed 💰 in the northwestern part of the old town of Mtskheta. Unfortunately, no inscriptions remain to tell about its construction time. 💰 According to the Georgian hagiographic sources the monastery was established in the 4th century, during the reign of the King 💰 Mirian III of Iberia, when a small church was built here by Saint Nino in connection with conversion of Georgia 💰 in Christianity. Mirian and his wife Nino were buried in the monastery.
Fragments of frescos remain in the dome and altar.
St. 💰 Nino's Church
Джанберидзе Н., Мачабели К. (1981) Тбилиси. Мцхета. Москва: Искусство, 255 c. (In Russian)