Gelati Monastery
Georgia · Europe
About
Gelati (Georgian: გელათის მონასტერი [g̊e̞ɫät̪ʰi]) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia, 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. It was built to celebrate the Orthodox Christian faith in Georgia; some murals found inside the Gelati Monastery church date back to the 12th century.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.