Betania Monastery

Betania Monastery is located twenty kilometers southwest of Tbilisi. This monastery was founded in the 11th century in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God and served as the family tomb of the Orbeliani princes. Inside there are beautiful frescoes from 1207 depicting King George III and his daughter Queen Tamara. King George is depicted with a crown on his head and a sword, which is why it is assumed that the frescoes were made after his coronation. On the southern wall there is a picture of the architect of the monastery and Sumbat Orbeliani, the man who ordered the construction of the monastery. After some time, the monastery fell into complete desolation. However, in the 20th century it was restored and at the end of the century the monastery became the first monastery to open in Soviet times.