BAGRATI CATHEDRAL

Bagrati Cathedral

Bagrati  Cathedral (Region of Imereti)

The Cathedral of the Dormition,  Bagrati (Georg. ბაგრატის ტაძარი) , is the 11th-century church in the city of Kutaisi. The cathedral, now in ruins, has gone down as a masterpiece in the history of medieval Georgian architecture.A distinct landmark in the scenery of central Kutaisi, the cathedral rests upon the top of Ukimerioni Hill. It was built in the early years of the 11th century, during the reign of King Bagrat III due to which it was called “Bagrati” Cathedral, i.e., Bagrat’s cathedral. An inscription on the north wall reveals that the floor was laid in “chronicon 223“, i.e., 1003.

In 1692 it was devastated in an explosion by the Ottoman troops, which had invaded the Kingdom of Imereti.  The incident caused the cupola and ceiling to collapse leaving the cathedral in its present state. The conservation and restoration works, as well as archaeological studies, which began in 1952, are still underway.  In 2001, the cathedral was restored to the Georgian Orthodox Church.  It is now of limited use for worship services, but attracts many pilgrims and tourists. It is also frequently used as a symbol of the whole city of Kutaisi, being one of its maintourist attractions.

In 1994, the Bagrati Cathedral, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

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