GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Samtavro Monastery

Where Queen Nina prayed, kings were buried

Samtavro Monastery

Why go

Samtavro stands at the spiritual origin of Christian Georgia. In the early 4th century, St. Nino—the Cappadocian woman who converted King Mirian and Queen Nana—lived and prayed here beneath a fruit-bearing vine (hence 'sam-tavro,' 'place of the vineyard'). The present complex dates to the 11th–13th centuries, though excavations reveal earlier layers. King Mirian and Queen Nana are entombed in the small royal chapel; their 4th-century graves were discovered intact in the 20th century. The convent church preserves rare frescoes and a carved iconostasis. As a functioning nunnery and UNESCO-listed monument alongside Mtskheta's other treasures, Samtavro offers living continuity with Georgia's foundational Christian moment.

On the ground See

  • The royal chapel containing the 4th-century tombs of King Mirian and Queen Nana, with original grave goods visible
  • The 11th-century Transfiguration Church with its medieval frescoes and stone iconostasis
  • The small convent vineyard and St. Nino's well, where the saint reputedly drew water

Practical Know before you go

Open daily 9:00–18:00; women must cover heads and wear long skirts, men no shorts; 20-minute walk from Mtskheta's Svetitskhoveli Cathedral or 5 minutes by taxi from Tbilisi (25 km).

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly