Rkoni, Medieval monastery complex in Shida Kartli, Georgia

Rkoni is a monastery complex in Shida Kartli perched on a mountainside with multiple connected structures. The site includes a main church, chapel, residential buildings, a bell tower, and a fortified tower all enclosed within defensive walls.

The monastery complex developed in three main building phases: the second quarter of the 7th century, the turn of the 13th–14th centuries, and the 17th–18th centuries. The Church of the Mother of God, a three-nave basilica, belongs to the first phase; the narthex and the refectory date to the 13th–14th centuries, while the bell tower was added in the 17th–18th centuries.

The main church is dedicated to the Mother of God (not the Assumption), and its paintings span several periods: 12th-century fragments in the nave and diaconicon, 17th-century work in the prothesis, and a secular figure on the south jamb of the entrance dated no later than the 10th century. The smaller church is dedicated to St John the Baptist.

The stone bridge attributed to Queen Tamar is now only about two metres wide, so cross it on foot. The monastery stands on a high clearing ringed by steep slopes; the climb is on foot and the terrain is uneven. Recent repairs covered the church roofs with metal sheets, but the interiors remain fragile.

The bridge over the Tedzami, 12.5 m long and 2.2 m wide, is named after Queen Tamar, who is credited with funding it. It is still passable, though its usable width has shrunk to barely two metres.