Church of Antioch Mtskheta (Region of Mtskheta – Mtianeti)
Church of St. Stephen the Martyr (Church of Antioch Mtskheta) (Georgian: მცხეთის ანტიოქიის ეკლესია )– It was built in the V century, on the holy place of baptism of Georgians, at the confluence of the rivers Kura and Aragvi and is one of the oldest in Mtskheta. The Greek inscription on the stone at the threshold of the church (the stone slab is kept in the Archaeological Museum in Mtskheta) informs that the architect of the temple was the Greek master Averlios Akolios. The church has changed a lot since its foundation. The church consists of buildings of different times: a hall church, transformed into its modern form from the north aisle of the old three-nave basilica, the entrance gate and the defensive gate tower.
В VIII century, during the Arab invasion of Georgia, the temple was burned down. В XV-XVIII centuries it was extensively renovated. At this time the original appearance of the church was almost completely changed. Presumably at the same time the gate was also added, and the second floor of the gate must have been built later, in the XVI-XVIII centuries. The three walls and the gate of the church are built of well-smoothed sandstone blocks, while the later southern wall of the church and the defensive tower are made of rubble, cobblestones and bricks. St. Stephen’s Monastery is currently in operation. Here several nuns carry out Christian activities and prayers are offered every Sunday.
City of Mtskheta (Georgian: მცხეთა), Mtskheta Municipality (Georgian: მცხეთის მუნიციპალიტეტი)
