Gergeti Trinity Church, Orthodox church on Mount Kazbek near Stepantsminda, Georgia.
Gergeti Trinity Church is a stone structure on Mount Kazbek at approximately 2,170 meters (7,120 feet) elevation with a cross-in-square design and separate bell tower. The complex displays characteristic Georgian architecture built with dark grey stone and features two decorated entrances.
The church was likely built in the 1330s, though tradition links its founding to King Vakhtang Gorgasali. Construction stone was brought from the village of Ghechi, two kilometres away. A 1392 document mentions the church and its monastery, and King Bagrat V assigned its upkeep to the people of Gergeti, confirmed by later kings. In 2006 the building was granted the status of a Cultural Monument of National Importance.
The church keeps its old name even though the village of Gergeti was merged into Kazbegi town in 1966. In the small XV-century council room (sabcho) attached to the south wall, Khevi's elders met, held community assemblies and people's courts, kept the communal flag and swore oaths of loyalty.
The church is accessible by a 30-minute taxi ride from Stepantsminda or by a 1.5-hour hike from the village of Gergeti. Visitors should wear modest clothing and respect the guidelines for entering an active monastery.
In 2006, restoration work beneath the plaster of the iconostasis revealed wall paintings dated to the 16th century, showing the Virgin, the Saviour, John the Baptist and Saint Nino. The church interior had earlier been repainted in oil by the Russian imperial authorities.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,146 contributors worldwide.