GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Mtskheta Old Town

Where Georgia's soul was born

Mtskheta Old Town

Why go

Mtskheta was the capital of the eastern Georgian kingdom of Iberia from the 3rd century BC until the 5th century AD, when King Vakhtang Gorgasali moved his seat to Tbilisi. As the cradle of Georgian Christianity—declared the state religion in 337 AD—it remains the spiritual heart of the nation. The confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers here was considered sacred long before Christianity arrived. Unlike many ancient capitals, Mtskheta never emptied; it remains a living town where families inhabit traditional wooden-balconied houses along narrow cobblestone lanes. UNESCO recognized its exceptional testimony to medieval religious architecture by inscribing its monuments as a World Heritage site in 1994.

On the ground See

  • Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, where Christ's robe is believed buried beneath the sanctuary floor
  • Jvari Monastery, the 6th-century hilltop church that established the cross-in-square architectural form
  • Samtavro Monastery, with its 11th-century church and nunnery still active after sixteen centuries

Practical Know before you go

Visit year-round; 20 minutes by marshrutka from Tbilisi's Didube station, or combine with the Tbilisi–Mtskheta train that runs several times daily.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly