Mtsvane (Green) Monastery (Region of Samtskhe Javakheti)
Mtsvane (Green) Monastery (Georgian: მწვანე მონასტერი) or St. George’s Chitakhevi Monastery (Georgian: ჩითახევის წმინდა გიორგის მონასტერი) – Monastery Complex, located in the beautiful, forested valley of Borjomi.(Georgian: ბორჯოომის ხეობა). The people called it the Green Monastery. The history of its construction and other information has not reached us, but according to scientists, it was built around IX-X centuries. Once there was a large male monastery, similar to Lavra. Around the main church, built at the same time with the foundation of the monastery, there are the remains of cells. In the XVI century during the Persian invasion dozens of monks were beheaded. Bloody stones lying almost all along the Chitahevi River (Georgian: ჩითახევი). The blood of the murdered monks that runs through the monastery’s territory. The monastery consists of a three-nave basilica, in style dating from the end of the 9th century, and a bell tower dating from the 15th to 16th centuries.
The main building of the monastery complex, built at the foot of the mountain ridge. The architecture of the monastery building is a typical for that time three-nave basilica with small semicircular windows. The interior is modest and restrained. The walls are decorated with modern frescoes. The bell tower stands a few meters southeast of the church and is a two-story structure. On the first floor is a small chapel, and the upper floor is a belfry with arched parallel openings, supported by massive columns. The main church is named after St. George, the right nave is named after St. Spiridon Trimiphuntel, and the left nave is named after St. Qeen Tamara (Georgian: თამარ მეფე). Having been abandoned for over two hundred years the monastery was revived in 2003. It has become a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims. The monastery church and bell tower are included in the list of immovable cultural monuments of national importance in Georgia.
Chitakhevi village (Georgian: სოფელი ჩითახევი), Borjomi Municipality (Georgian: ბორჯომის მუნიციპალიტეტი)