#827 Tbilisi, Georgia

The Cathedral of the Dormition, or the Kutaisi Cathedral, more commonly known as Bagrati Cathedral (Georgian: ბაგრატი; ბაგრატის ტაძარი, or Bagratis tadzari), is the 11th-century cathedral church in the city of Kutaisi, the region of Imereti, Georgia. The cathedral, rebuilt officially on September 16, 2012 after heavy damage ages ago, served as a masterpiece in the history of modern and medieval Georgian architecture.

A distinct landmark in the scenery of central Kutaisi, the cathedral rests upon the top of Uk’imerioni Hill. It was built in the early years of the 11th century, during the reign of King Bagrat III, due to which it was called "Bagrati", i.e., Bagrat’s cathedral. An inscription on the north wall reveals that the floor was laid in "chronicon 223", i.e., 1003. In 1692, it was devastated in an explosion by Ottoman troops who had invaded the Kingdom of Imereti. The incident caused the cupola and ceiling to collapse.

Conservation and restoration works, as well as archaeological studies, began in 1952.

Wikipedia.org

Property No # 710

Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO WHS: 1994

Edit: Removed from the List of UNESCO WHS in 2017 - http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1692/

Aitäh, Meelis !

Sent on: February 24, 2015

Received on: March 4, 2015