View source for Pitareti Monastery

{{Expand Georgian|ფიტარეთის მონასტერი|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name           = Pitareti Monastery <br> ფიტარეთის მონასტერი
| infobox_width           =
| image                   = Phitareti.jpg
| image_size              = 275 px
| alt                     =
| caption                 = The monastic complex of Pitareti.
| map_type                = Georgia
| map_size                = 275
| location                = Located approximately 26 km southwest of [[Tetritsqaro]], [[Kvemo Kartli]] Province ([[Mkhare]]), <br/>{{flag|Georgia}}
| coordinates             = {{coord|41.4789|44.3197|display=inline,title}}
| religious_affiliation   = [[Georgian Orthodox Church]]
| rite                    =
| region                  = [[Caucasus]]
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| architecture            = yes
| architect               = 
| architecture_type       = [[Architecture of Georgia (country)|Georgian]]; [[Monastery]]
| architecture_style      = Monastic complex
| founded_by              = 
| funded_by               = Qaplan Orbelishvili - refurnished Pitareti, 1671
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| groundbreaking          = 
| year_completed          = Theotokos Church - Possibly 13th century
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'''Pitareti Monastery''' ({{lang-ka|ფიტარეთის მონასტერი}}) is a medieval [[Georgian Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christian]] monastery in [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], approximately 26&nbsp;km southwest of the town of [[Tetritsqaro]], [[Kvemo Kartli]], southwest of the nation's capital [[Tbilisi]].

The Pitareti monastery consists of the [[Theotokos]] church, a belfry, the ruined wall and several smaller accessory buildings. The main church appears to have been built in the reign of [[George IV of Georgia|George IV]] early in the 13th century. Its design conforms to the contemporary canon of a Georgian domed church and shares a series of common features – such as a typical cross-in-square plan and a single lateral porch – with the monasteries of [[Betania monastery|Betania]], [[Kvatakhevi]], and [[Timotesubani]]. The façades are decorated, accentuating the niches and dormers. The entire interior was once frescoed, but only significantly damaged fragments of those murals survive.

The monastery was a property and a burial ground of the noble family of Kachibadze-[[Baratashvili]] and, since 1536, of their offshoots – the princes [[Orbeliani|Orbelishvili]]. A 14th-century inscription mentions a [[ctitor]] – the royal chamberlain Kavtar Kachibadze. Another inscription, from a grave stone, records the name of Qaplan Orbelishvili who refurnished the monastery in 1671. The monastery thrived at Pitareti until 1752 when it was forced to close due to a [[Lekianoba|marauding attack]] from [[Dagestan]].

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image: Pitareti2.jpg|Drum and dome of the church.
</gallery>

== References ==
* {{in lang|ka}} Zakaraia, P. (1990), ქართული ხუროთმოძღვრება XI-XVIII სს. ("Georgian Architecture of the 11th-18th centuries"). Tbilisi: pp.&nbsp;96–113.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Pitareti}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211849/http://www.monument.ge/picture/pict/index.php?list=pitareti Pitareti], ''Monument.ge''. Retrieved on 2008-07-11. 
* [http://www.parliament.ge/~lika/ancient/pitareti/pitareti_show.htm Pitareti monastery]. ''[[Parliament of Georgia]]''. Retrieved on 2008-07-11.

{{Georgian Churches}}

[[Category:13th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings]]
[[Category:Georgian Orthodox monasteries]]


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