The historic center of თბილისი is a rock next to river Mtkwari and todays Europe square. On top you will find the Metechi church, an orthodox church from the 13th century surrounded by a nice garden with many pomegranate trees. While it is today standing alone on top of the rock it was formerly surrounded by the royal palace of თბილისი. The Russians converted the palace into a jail that was also used to incarcerate dictator Joseph Stalin (born at Gori close to Tbilisi). In 1937 the buildings were demolished leaving only the church in this location.
During Soviet times the church was used as a stage for a youth theater; only in 1988 it was returned to the Georgian-orthodox church. The name goes back to king Vakhtang I of Iberia; in the 5th century he shall have said in this location: ‘Ak me mteri wteche.’ (‘Here I’ve slain the enemy‘). A large statue standing next to the church and facing the old town of თბილისი remembers him today.
მეტეხის ღვთისმშობლის შობის ტაძარი
Metechi church
თბილისი / Tbilisi
Georgia
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