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'''Gelati''' ({{lang-ka|გელათის მონასტერი}} {{IPA|ka|g̊e̞ɫät̪ʰi|}}) is a [[Middle Ages|medieval]] monastic complex near [[Kutaisi]] in the [[Imereti]] region of western [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]. One of the first monasteries in Georgia,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kaufhold |first=Hubert |date=2011 |title=Gelati Monastery |url=http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy2.library.usyd.edu.au/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_08287 |journal=Religion Past and Present |doi=10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_08287|url-access=subscription }}</ref> it was founded in 1106 by King [[David IV of Georgia]] as a monastic and educational center.  
'''Gelati''' ({{lang-ka|გელათის მონასტერი}} {{IPA|ka|g̊e̞ɫät̪ʰi|}}) is a [[Middle Ages|medieval]] monastic complex near [[Kutaisi]] in the [[Imereti]] region of western [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]. One of the first monasteries in Georgia,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kaufhold |first=Hubert |date=2011 |title=Gelati Monastery |url=http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy2.library.usyd.edu.au/10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_08287 |journal=Religion Past and Present |doi=10.1163/1877-5888_rpp_SIM_08287|url-access=subscription }}</ref> it was founded in 1106 by King [[David IV of Georgia]] as a monastic and educational center.  


The monastery is an exemplar of the [[Georgian Golden Age]] and a gold aesthetic is employed in the paintings and buildings.<ref>Centre, U.W.H. (n.d.). Gelati Monastery, Georgia, removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger. [online] UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1692</ref> It was built to celebrate the Orthodox Christian faith in Georgia;<ref>{{Cite book |last=Calma |first=Dragos |title=Reading Proclus and the Book of Causes, Volume 2 |publisher=University College Dublin |year=2020 |location=Dublin}}</ref> some murals found inside the Gelati Monastery church date back to the 12th century.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/Gelati+Monastery |title=World Heritage Site |date=1997–2020}}</ref> The monastery was inscribed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] in 1994 because of its outstanding architecture and its importance as an educational and scientific center in medieval Georgia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Centre |first=UNESCO World Heritage |title=Gelati Monastery |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/710/ |access-date=2021-11-27 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref>
The monastery is a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] and was a cultural, educational and scientific center in medieval Georgia. It is an exemplar of the [[Georgian Golden Age]] and a gold aesthetic is employed in the paintings and buildings.<ref name="UNESCO10July2017" /> It was built to celebrate the Orthodox Christian faith in Georgia;<ref>{{Cite book |last=Calma |first=Dragos |title=Reading Proclus and the Book of Causes, Volume 2 |publisher=University College Dublin |year=2020 |location=Dublin}}</ref> some murals found inside the Gelati Monastery church date back to the 12th century.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/Gelati+Monastery |title=World Heritage Site |date=1997–2020}}</ref>


==Overview and description==
==Overview and description==
Line 87: Line 87:


==History==
==History==
Construction began on the Gelati Monastery in 1106, under the direction of King [[David IV of Georgia]], at which time [[Kutaisi]] was the capital of Georgia.<ref name=UNESCO/> It was constructed during the reign of the [[Byzantine Empire]]; in this period Christianity was the ruling religion throughout the empire. The monastery's main church, known as the Church of the Blessed Virgin, was completed in 1130, under the reign of David IV's successor, [[Demetrius I of Georgia]], and was dedicated to the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]]. The monastery is also the burial site of King David IV, near which the [[Ancient Gates of Ganja]], which were taken by King Demetrius I in 1138, can be found. The smaller chapels within the monastery date to the 13th century.  
Construction began on the Gelati Monastery in 1106, under the direction of King [[David IV of Georgia]], at which time [[Kutaisi]] was the capital of Georgia.<ref name=UNESCOListing/> It was constructed during the reign of the [[Byzantine Empire]]; in this period Christianity was the ruling religion throughout the empire. The monastery's main church, known as the Church of the Blessed Virgin, was completed in 1130, under the reign of David IV's successor, [[Demetrius I of Georgia]], and was dedicated to the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]]. The monastery is also the burial site of King David IV, near which the [[Ancient Gates of Ganja]], which were taken by King Demetrius I in 1138, can be found. The smaller chapels within the monastery date to the 13th century.  


In addition to its religious purpose, the monastery was also constructed to function as an academy of science and education in Georgia: King David IV employed many Georgian scientists, theologians, and philosophers, many of whom had previously been active at various Orthodox monasteries abroad, such as the [[Mangana Monastery]] in [[Constantinople]].<ref name=UNESCO/><ref>Reinis Fischer. (2015). Gelati Monastery in Georgia. [online] Available at: https://www.reinisfischer.com/gelati-monastery-georgia</ref> Among its notable scholars were [[Ioane Petritsi]], who translated several classics of philosophy but is best known for his commentaries on [[Proclus]]; and [[Arsen Ikaltoeli]], known for his ''Dogmatikon'', or book of teachings, influenced by [[Aristotle]]. The Gelati Academy employed scribes to compile manuscript copies of important works,<ref name=UNESCO>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/710/ |title=Gelati Monastery |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=24 November 2020}}</ref> and people of the time called it "a new [[Classical Greece|Hellas]]" and "a second [[Mount Athos|Athos]]".<ref>Chatzidakis, Nano. ''Byzantine Mosaics, Volume 7.'' [[Athens]], [[Greece]]: Ekdotike Athenon, 1994, p.22</ref>
In addition to its religious purpose, the monastery was also constructed to function as an academy of science and education in Georgia: King David IV employed many Georgian scientists, theologians, and philosophers, many of whom had previously been active at various Orthodox monasteries abroad, such as the [[Mangana Monastery]] in [[Constantinople]].<ref name=UNESCOListing/><ref>Reinis Fischer. (2015). Gelati Monastery in Georgia. [online] Available at: https://www.reinisfischer.com/gelati-monastery-georgia</ref> Among its notable scholars were [[Ioane Petritsi]], who translated several classics of philosophy but is best known for his commentaries on [[Proclus]]; and [[Arsen Ikaltoeli]], known for his ''Dogmatikon'', or book of teachings, influenced by [[Aristotle]]. The Gelati Academy employed scribes to compile manuscript copies of important works,<ref name=UNESCOListing>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/710/ |title=Gelati Monastery |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=2025-06-01}}</ref> and people of the time called it "a new [[Classical Greece|Hellas]]" and "a second [[Mount Athos|Athos]]".<ref>Chatzidakis, Nano. ''Byzantine Mosaics, Volume 7.'' [[Athens]], [[Greece]]: Ekdotike Athenon, 1994, p.22</ref>


==Art==
==Art==
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==Conservation==
==Conservation==
In 1994, it was inscribed as a [[World Heritage Site]] by UNESCO, together with [[Bagrati Cathedral]] under a single listing.<ref name="UNESCO10July2017"/>
The [[monastery]] is still active and its churches continue to be regularly used for [[Church service|religious service]]. Under the supervision of UNESCO the site is being continually restored and protected. All the original structures of the monastery are intact and functional.
The [[monastery]] is still active and its churches continue to be regularly used for [[Church service|religious service]]. Under the supervision of UNESCO the site is being continually restored and protected. All the original structures of the monastery are intact and functional.


The mosaics and murals were damaged prior to UNESCO conservation,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Riggs |first=Thomas |title=Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices. 2nd ed., vol. 2: Countries, Afghanistan to Ghana |publisher=Gale |year=2015 |location=Farmington Hills}}</ref> but halted when the roof of the academy building was replaced by Georgian conservators.<ref name=UNESCO/> By presidential decree, the monastery was added to the National Register of Monuments for protection and restoration in 2006.
The mosaics and murals were damaged prior to UNESCO conservation,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Riggs |first=Thomas |title=Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices. 2nd ed., vol. 2: Countries, Afghanistan to Ghana |publisher=Gale |year=2015 |location=Farmington Hills}}</ref> but halted when the roof of the academy building was replaced by Georgian conservators.<ref name=UNESCOListing/> By presidential decree, the monastery was added to the National Register of Monuments for protection and restoration in 2006.
 
In 2010, the World Heritage Site listing was inscribed on the [[List of World Heritage in Danger]]. In 2017, Bagrati Cathedral was delisted from the World Heritage Site, whereas the monastery was removed from the [[List of World Heritage in Danger]] and retained its World Heritage status.<ref name="UNESCOListing" /><ref name="UNESCO10July2017">{{Cite web |title=Gelati Monastery, Georgia, removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1692/ |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref>


==Burials==
==Burials==
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==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
Gelati Monastery view.jpg
Image:Gelati monastery (July 2012).jpg|Gelati Monastery
გელათის მონასტერი Gelati Monastery (48743471723).jpg
Image:Gelati 1661.jpg|Gelati Monastery
Image:Gelati Theotokos.jpg|''Mother of God'', mosaic fresco
Image:Gelati Theotokos.jpg|''Mother of God'', mosaic fresco
Image:Gelati archangel.jpg|[[Archangel Michael]], mosaic fresco
Image:Gelati archangel.jpg|[[Archangel Michael]], mosaic fresco
Image:Gelati Ascension.jpg|The [[Ascension of Jesus Christ|Ascension]], mural (16th century)
Image:Gelati Ascension.jpg|The [[Ascension of Jesus Christ|Ascension]], mural (16th century)
Image:Georgia-DavidIV.jpg|[[David IV of Georgia]], mural
Image:King David IV the Builder. Gelati fresco.jpg|[[David IV of Georgia]], mural
<!-- Deleted image removed: Image:Gelati murals.jpg|Northern wall -->
<!-- Deleted image removed: Image:Gelati murals.jpg|Northern wall -->
Image:Gelati (4).jpg|[[Icon]] of [[St. George]] in front of the [[iconostasis]]
Image:Gelati (4).jpg|[[Icon]] of [[St. George]] in front of the [[iconostasis]]

Latest revision as of 19:08, 24 November 2025

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Gelati (Georgian: Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "IPA".) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia,[1] it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as a monastic and educational center.

The monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was a cultural, educational and scientific center in medieval Georgia. It is an exemplar of the Georgian Golden Age and a gold aesthetic is employed in the paintings and buildings.[2] It was built to celebrate the Orthodox Christian faith in Georgia;[3] some murals found inside the Gelati Monastery church date back to the 12th century.[4]

Overview and description

The monastery is located on a hill several kilometers to the northeast of Kutaisi. It also overlooks the Tskaltsitela Gorge. It is constructed of solid stone, with full archways. The plan of the main monastery was designed in the shape of a cross, the symbol of Jesus's crucifixion and of Christianity.[5] The monastery was designed to be visible over much of the country, with its stone walls constructed to reflect sunlight. There are archways throughout the monastery, including the bell tower.

History

Construction began on the Gelati Monastery in 1106, under the direction of King David IV of Georgia, at which time Kutaisi was the capital of Georgia.[6] It was constructed during the reign of the Byzantine Empire; in this period Christianity was the ruling religion throughout the empire. The monastery's main church, known as the Church of the Blessed Virgin, was completed in 1130, under the reign of David IV's successor, Demetrius I of Georgia, and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The monastery is also the burial site of King David IV, near which the Ancient Gates of Ganja, which were taken by King Demetrius I in 1138, can be found. The smaller chapels within the monastery date to the 13th century.

In addition to its religious purpose, the monastery was also constructed to function as an academy of science and education in Georgia: King David IV employed many Georgian scientists, theologians, and philosophers, many of whom had previously been active at various Orthodox monasteries abroad, such as the Mangana Monastery in Constantinople.[6][7] Among its notable scholars were Ioane Petritsi, who translated several classics of philosophy but is best known for his commentaries on Proclus; and Arsen Ikaltoeli, known for his Dogmatikon, or book of teachings, influenced by Aristotle. The Gelati Academy employed scribes to compile manuscript copies of important works,[6] and people of the time called it "a new Hellas" and "a second Athos".[8]

Art

Triptychs

Triptychs were popular during the Byzantine Empire and important in Georgian culture.[9] The triptychs represented another form of contribution to the church. Triptychs were a form of iconography for the congregation.

One of the most valuable icons housed in the monastery was the Khakhuli triptych, which was enshrined in the Gelati Monastery from the 12th century until being stolen in 1859. Although returned in 1923, it was in a reduced condition.[10]

Mosaics

The interiors of the monastery hold mosaics in classic Byzantine style illustrating aspects of Christian belief. The largest, a 12th-century masterpiece depicting the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, dominates the apse of the main church, and is an artwork of cultural importance in Georgia.[11] Above the altar is situated a statue of the Virgin Mary, looking down at the baby Jesus she is holding.

Conservation

In 1994, it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, together with Bagrati Cathedral under a single listing.[2]

The monastery is still active and its churches continue to be regularly used for religious service. Under the supervision of UNESCO the site is being continually restored and protected. All the original structures of the monastery are intact and functional.

The mosaics and murals were damaged prior to UNESCO conservation,[12] but halted when the roof of the academy building was replaced by Georgian conservators.[6] By presidential decree, the monastery was added to the National Register of Monuments for protection and restoration in 2006.

In 2010, the World Heritage Site listing was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. In 2017, Bagrati Cathedral was delisted from the World Heritage Site, whereas the monastery was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and retained its World Heritage status.[6][2]

Burials

Gallery

See also

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Reinis Fischer. (2015). Gelati Monastery in Georgia. [online] Available at: https://www.reinisfischer.com/gelati-monastery-georgia
  8. ↑ Chatzidakis, Nano. Byzantine Mosaics, Volume 7. Athens, Greece: Ekdotike Athenon, 1994, p.22
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Eastmond, Antony (2001), Eastern approaches to Byzantium: papers from the Thirty-third Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry, March 1999, pp. 216-217. Ashgate/Variorum, Template:ISBN, Template:ISBN
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Attribution

Further reading

  • Chichinadze, Nina. "Some Compositional Characteristics of Georgian Triptychs of the Thirteenth Through Fifteenth Centuries". Gesta, vol. 35, no. 1, 1996, pp. 66–76. Script error: No such module "CS1 identifiers".. JSTOR 767227.
  • Derlemenko I︠E︡vhen Anatoliĭovych, and Gigilashvili Ėduard. Gelati : Arkhitektura, Mozaika, Freski (Fotoalʹbom]=Gelati : Architecture, Mosaic, Frescoes. Tbilisi, Khelovneba, 1982.
  • Hubert Kaufhold, Brill. Georgian Monasteries.
  • Mepʻisašvili, R. Gelati. "Sabčotʻa Sakʻartʻvelo", 1965.

External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Georgian Churches Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Authority control

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