Tsilkani cathedral, Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia.
Tsilkani cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox church in the rural area of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia, built in stone with a dome rising over the central space. The floor plan follows a cross shape with four arms meeting at the center, supported by interior pillars that divide the space.
The church began as a simple hall in the 4th century and was significantly rebuilt and enlarged in the 6th century. The dome over the central space was added in a later phase, giving the building the form it has today.
The cathedral keeps the tomb of Jesse of Antioch, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers who came to Kartli around 545; his grave slab lies by the north-east pier under the dome. The village's main feast is the Nativity of the Mother of God on 21 September. The venerated 9th-century Virgin Hodegetria icon, repainted around 1200, was moved to the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi in 1926.
The cathedral sits in a rural setting, so having a private car or joining a shared taxi from Tbilisi is the most practical way to get there. As the church is in active use, visitors should cover their shoulders and knees before entering.
The Bronze Age burial mound and the 4th–5th-century crypt with a Greek inscription are village finds, not remains under the cathedral floor. Inside the church, the tomb of Jesse, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers who came to Kartli around 545, is said to lie by the northeast dome pier.
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