Ninotsminda Cathedral, Sagarejo - as our pilgrimage draws to an end

Ninotsminda

Someone sitting behind me on the coach groans - oh no not another church today! We are on the last full day of our pilgrimage to Holy Caucasian Georgia and we have just had a fantastic trip to the David Garedzha monastery complex in the desert close to the Azerbaijan border. It's fair to say we are all exhausted. It has been very hot and those of us who took the strenuous climb up to the higher Udabno (desert) monastery are truly whacked! We have seen amazing frescoes and a glimpse into the lives of the many monks who once lived and worshiped in this incredible setting. We have marveled at the dedication of the few monks who still occupy the Davitis Lavra monastery, founded by St David, one of the Holy Syrian Fathers, in the 6th century.

poppies in pretty gardens at Ninotsminda

We fondly believe that we are now heading back to Tbilisi and our final night before heading for home tomorrow. So imagine our dismay to be told that there is another sight on the itinerary for today before we can have that welcome shower and drink at the hotel!
I guess it is the relative familiarity of a return journey that always makes it feel shorter than the outward trip. It therefore seems but a short time before we arrive back in Sagarejo, and somewhat rested after the coach journey, we do somehow find the energy and enthusiasm to explore Ninotsminda Cathedral, (not to be confused with the Bodbe convent also sometimes known as Ninotsminda near Signaghi).

within the chapel at Ninotsminda

This is now ruined as a result of earthquakes in 1824 and 1848, but it is very impressive for all that. It was built in AD 575 but there was a church used here for Christian worship from the 5th century. It is an interesting building because it is built in the cruciform style, predating the Jvari Church in Mtskheta which we visited earlier in our week.

There are the remains in the eastern apse of a fresco of the Virgin and Child, vandalized with bullet holes by bandits in the 18th and 19th century. The defensive walls were built around the cathedral in the 16th and 17th centuries and are well preserved.
There is further detailed information online at eurasia travel for example.

Mid 16th century Bell Tower Ninotsminda

Just 3 or 4 nuns now live here, and they are the friendliest nuns we have met on the whole pilgrimage! They maintain beautiful gardens which enhance the ruin, and we are told that it is possible to take a retreat here, at the nuns' discretion. A small chapel is built into the walls and there is a service in progress as we arrive. The chapel is quite busy, and even very young children stand quietly with their parents, aunts, friends; the girls wearing neat little headscarves like the adult women. There is an equally friendly monk welcoming everyone who enters, and the whole atmosphere is relaxed and peaceful (As I stand their alongside these families I wonder to myself why in the UK do we think we need special "all-age" services which often fail to please either the young or the old?)
Many of us take advantage of this opportunity for some Orthodox liturgy and spirituality, standing quietly and discretely at the back, and we soon find we have been given far too little time there before we have to hurry back to the coach for the final stretch of the journey back to Tbilisi. We agree that we are so glad with hindsight that we paused for a while here.

the Ministry of Internal Affairs building

posters in Tbilisi for 15 June local elections

It is now clouded over and considerably cooler - and as we journey on towards Tbilisi the sun becomes murky in the sky and the atmosphere becomes sultry and humid. It feels like a storm may be brewing. The main road here is attractively undulating and scenic, with smallholdings dotted along the route. We cross the river Iori again (further back we saw people paddling in this same river). There are small calves tethered in the fields - presumably destined for the veal market. At least their short life is a happy one, grazing the lush pastures. Further over in the middle distance I had already spied long low sheds and feared that these may be for intensive pig farming, as pork is very much on the Georgian menu and I had seen no pigs at all outside in the fields during the whole week. Several little streams flow down through these meadows from the mountain range to our north, and beautiful yellow broom once more covers the roadside slope. But still, sadly, there is always that unsightly litter. Soon we enter Tbilisi, past the all-glass building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. We are told that normally at this time of day, between 6 and 7pm, there would be bad traffic jams, but today, Saturday, many families go out of town or stay at home for rest and relaxation. It is election day tomorrow, June 15th, in Tbilisi, and there are posters everywhere!

the Virgin and Child Fresco in the apse
Ninotsminda

We all enjoy a group supper at a local restaurant before returning to the hotel and our final packing! This for many of us has been the highlight day of the pilgrimage, but our tour is not quite at an end. Tomorrow we will celebrate a final Eucharist all together in the hotel…

Holy Georgia - in the steps of St Nino and the Syrian Fathers - the road to Kutaisi

We are pilgrims on a journey; in Caucasian Georgia, in the steps of St Nino and the Syrian Fathers. We have explored the Dzhvari or Jvari (cross) church in its proud and very prominent position high above the town of the sacred city of Mtskheta, and then visited the cathedral in the town, related in my last post here.
But now we have to travel on.
Back in the coach we travel westwards, passing close to South Ossetia. Advice on safety and security for travelers from the UK foreign office advises us that: "along the M27 road (also known as the M1), particularly where it runs very close to South Ossetia (between the Stepantsminda/Gudauri turnoff and Gori, and between Gori and Khashuri)... There is a risk of criminal activity in these areas." This is our route!  The website further advises that: "The British government does not recognise the unilateral declarations of independence made by the de facto authorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. There is no UK diplomatic representation available in either location." We have every confidence in McCabe's meticulous attention to such details, and also in our excellent Georgian guide and driver.

A refugee camp on road to Kutaisi

on the road to Kutaisi

Our guide tells us that 20% of Georgian territory is still occupied by Russia today, 400,000 people have been turned out of their houses to live in refugee camps in Georgia or to leave the country. We drive past one such camp where some of these Internally Displaced People, or IDPs as they are known, now live. We are told that this camp was partly funded by the European Union and the World Bank. Since its independence, Georgia did suffer civil conflict, fueled, our guide tells us, by Russia who would like the world to think Georgia is unstable. But whilst Georgia did have a corrupt government and economic problems in its early days of independence, for the last ten years or so it is making positive steps forward and life is generally good. There is plenty of new building going on, and the roads are being substantially improved. Georgia wants only to build peace and stability for its people, a desire shared by most of us. The country is expanding its export market around the world, especially for its wine for which it is justly well known, and in 2011 the new Georgian government even renegotiated its exports to Russia again, a huge and very important market for them. As she tells us this, we pass a tourist sign to the "Wine Route", the first of many such signs we will see later in our pilgrimage.

on the road to Kutaisi

There is a family of stray dogs basking on the bonnet of an abandoned car by the wayside; a bitch and her pups, clearly set up home there. There are too many emaciated stray dogs around - so sad.
The wild flowers in the meadows as we drive along are stunning in their diversity and colors. Poppies give us flashes of bright red brilliance, there are fields of barley and wheat, and there are plenty of smallholdings and small orchards in and around the villages we pass through. Much accommodation here seems very old and run down, in stark contrast to the very modern IDP settlements. Rusty corrugated iron roofs cover many of the older buildings, again in contrast to the many shiny new satellite discs seen as we drive further to the west.

typical Georgian food very Veggie friendly!

It is lunch time, and we stop at Venecia Ristorante, before reaching Gori. This restaurant has been built around an artificial lake and canal with arched bridges and plenty of outside terraces. We discover later that this is a very popular style of restaurant in Georgia. A long table is set out ready for us, groaning with enticing plates of food and baskets of the flat bread for which the region is known. We are seated on one of the covered balconies overlooking the lake, which is full of trout. I'm finding the Georgian food very veggie friendly on the whole, helped by the way they keep bringing various dishes, both meat and salad based and there are no defined courses as such, which we are all used to. So at first it seems a little strange, but I like it. I only miss having a sweet "pudding" to finish the meal, that's all. And my wheat free diet, recently imposed for medical reasons, is proving to be a challenge, with so much delicious looking fresh bread always generously provided. But my wheat abstinence is certainly helping me, so perseverance in this respect is definitely worth while.

dough for the flat bread

colorful roadside market stalls on
road to Kutaisi

After this meal we go around the back of the restaurant where the coach is parked and watch an elderly lady making this flat bread, sticking the shaped dough with apparent ease around the sides of a stone pit at the bottom of which are red hot embers; a skill no doubt learnt over decades and passed on through generations. Also here a man is catching and killing some of the free range chickens for supper tonight. I give this a miss! At least the birds have had a happy life scratching around the coppice behind the restaurant and their end comes mercifully quickly.
It is a three hour drive after lunch to Kutaisi and our hotel for the next two nights so we settle down to read, sleep, watch films on our personal tablets etc. or listen to music. I cannot do any of these things; I watch out of the window continually, anxious not to miss any detail of the changing landscape of this lovely countryside. There is so much of interest to see along the roadside;

There is a craftsman making wooden ladders. Then there are the many colorful street market, the stalls stacked high with local fruits. Each market comprises a collection of many small stalls, but many of these appear to be very run down, even abandoned. I've mentioned the cows before, grazing everywhere, with no boundaries, usually under the watchful eye of one or two men, who we later learn are paid per cow per day for this watchful duty. Some keepers are on horseback - one we saw was galloping bareback somewhat dangerously I thought alongside the fast moving traffic!
There are many small fields of newly planted "greens." Then I see a motorbike pulling a farm trailer! A large and rare road sign in English at the road works along the way urges the traffic to "Slow Down." They are widening this very main and busy route and improving its surface at the same time.
Always there is litter, especially at junctions and along the main roads. Curiously the towns themselves are nearly always relatively clear of litter. Lovely Georgia, please stop desecrating your beautiful countryside in this way. Sadly, I fear the UK is heading in the same direction unless we change the filthy habit of "litter bugging" soon.

Kutaisi street scene

We are warned to expect a higher humidity in Kutaisi than in Tblisi. We are driving towards higher mountains on our left, to the South, and into rain - we are only one hour into our drive and can see the clouds coming down the mountain sides towards us. I even think I see snow on a distant peak, glinting in the sunshine before the rain clouds blot out the view. And do they just! It is raining really hard now, the view ahead almost obliterated except when vivid lightning flashes momentarily open it up again, and thunder roars around. It looks to be set in for the day.

poppies!

Water pours down roadside gullies presumably to a collecting reservoir somewhere? Meanwhile we are noticeably climbing. My ears start popping. There is evidence of quite a few rocky landslides which have been cleared away from the road. Then we begin our descent. We drive down verdantly green and steep wooded gorges and we can see a river, sometimes alongside the road, then far below us, always swollen and fast flowing with the rain. There are regular "wrecking cul de sacs" - the signs again in English. Presumably these are the same as our "escape routes" (what do Americans call them?) for lorries with failing brakes on steep hills and the assumption is that Georgian lorry drivers don't need them? I understood that English is not widely spoken here outside Tbilisi so why the English signs?

Home to the story of the Golden Fleece, Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest town, with a population of 200,000. It is also the oldest, with evidence of settlements going back to perhaps the 17th century BC. It was certainly established as a Greek colony by the 7th century BC.
Here we will be visiting two monasteries and the wonderful Bagrat Cathedral, as well as soaking up the atmosphere of the Georgian Independence celebrations which happily coincide with our visit....to be continued...

Holy Georgia: concluding Day 2 of our pilgrimage - Mtskheta, sacred city

Jvari Church

We start each day on the coach with morning prayer, reminding us of our purpose for being here, as pilgrims not tourists. It is not always easy with so much to see beyond the coach but somehow I manage to tear my eyes away from the window and focus on the prayers, the biblical reading, the psalm...

winged angels bearing cross
fine bas relief at entrance to Jvari Church

We are heading for the Dzhvari or Jvari (cross) church in its proud and very prominent position high above the town of the sacred city of Mtskheta. First we have a little time to watch the unfolding landscape of this beautiful country as we speed along, giving us our first impressions of the countryside outside Tbilisi. There are many vans parked along the roadside, all with enticing piles of huge water melons stacked up for sale. A large and active cement factory as we approach Mtskheta is presumably supplying the many new building projects we have already seen in Tbilisi. Before we leave the town we see many of the huge stark concrete blocks of flats from the communist era. The other housing often appears fairly ramshackle to our eyes, and there is much evidence of poverty and hardship. Many restaurants along the way also appear to be shut down, or maybe they open only in the high summer season?
We pass through some deciduous and coniferous woods. Many of the trees in the latter seem to be dying and I wonder why? Forty per cent of Georgia is covered with forest, mainly deciduous, supporting a large and varied population of fauna and flora. Wild animals include deer, bears, wolves, lynx, porcupines, foxes and even a species of leopard. We are to see none of these. There are however far too many stray dogs around, all woefully thin, somehow always managing to dodge the traffic as they scavenge for all they can get from the rubbish strewn along the way (more about that later!). But the most striking site for me on this leg of the journey, in addition to the already mentioned dazzling yellow of the broom bushes, is the Cotinus (aptly named smoke tree or smoke bush) trees with fluffy pinkish bottle brush like flower heads lining long stretches of the road up to the monastery

the confluence of the two rivers

The Jvari church is perched on a rock spur looking down on the Aragvi river and its confluence with the river Mtkvari. The rivers appear very muddy and very full, due to the large amount of rain experienced recently in the area. The church was built between the AD 580s and AD 604 by Staphanoz I and is architecturally important as it sets the pattern for many other churches built in later centuries. It is very interesting inside as there are chapels between the four apses meaning that the ground plan is almost perfectly square rather than cross-like, and the rather plain interior is lofty and spacious. On this site Nino set up her cross overlooking the pagan shrines in the hills around. A late 6th century church is in ruins beside the present one, which was closed in 1911, but re-consecrated in 1988.

We climb up from the car park and join the other small groups of pilgrims and tourists milling around. There is a service going on inside - it is after all Sunday. It feels intrusive and irreverent to go in and take photos, but many were doing so. I prefer to go in quietly, stand near the back and absorb the sounds, sights and smells around me: the mysteries of the liturgy and the copious incense being swung by the priest from the door of the inner sanctuary; the divine chanting of the four girls standing around the lectern on the left hand side of the church (Men stand on the right); the sound of the Sanctus bell rung from the bells outside. In Georgia this is always a separate building outside the church itself and we are to see many examples during our travels. This is a very simple example!

This all reminds me vividly of our experiences in the monasteries of south east Turkey last year . Only when I have shown my respect to the service in hand do I feel I can look around and upwards at the building itself, while discreetly taking a few photos of the interior for the benefit of my readers. There is a monk at the door welcoming in some small children to the service. He has such a beautiful face and smile, I want to capture it on camera, but he is deeply offended and puts out his hand to obscure his face. I feel very contrite and must remember to respect the privacy of the Georgian people in our travels.

Outside on the pastures surrounding the church I see many wild orchids in flower. Here and everywhere we go the wild flowers in the meadows are astonishing in their variety and colors. I would love to spend time studying these and identifying them all. Some are well known to us in the UK, others I cannot recognize. Here is a botanist's dream for further exploration.

Sveti Tskhoveli cathedral

We make our way back down to town in the coach. We seem to have to drive around a huge loop to get to the Sveti Tskhoveli cathedral, which can be plainly seen on the other side of the river. As soon as we arrive there is a dash by the ladies to be first in the queue for the loos in the cathedral precinct. On this trip we soon learn to take our chances when we can, as public loos are few and far between and very often of the squat variety and fairly horrible. Here we pay 5 Georgian Lari (about 2 Euros or 2.8 US $) to be given a small piece of paper by a lady at the door and wait our turn. There are small un-lockable swing doors which give us a little privacy but at least these squats are clean. In the days to come when we stop at petrol stations for the loos, some of us prefer to find bushes beyond the buildings!

Again there is a service going on as we enter the cathedral, now the second largest surviving church in Georgia after the recent consecration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi. The chanting of the monks is divine! At full flow the sound they are creating gives me goose bumps and is spine tingling. They are gathered around their lectern on the right hand side of the cathedral, casually chatting quietly and even looking at their mobile phones in between their parts of the liturgy.

high sided 17th century pavilion built over the
tomb of Sidonia

chanting monks

These orthodox services are very relaxed, as people taking part seem to drift in and out as the whim takes them. Services can go on for two or three hours, particularly on special occasions, and there are no seats other than a few around the edges of the large central space for the elderly and infirm. All ladies and girls must cover their heads, and in some of the stricter places of worship skirts must be worn by the ladies, not trousers. Shawls or headscarves are normally used. I find that my pink flowery sunhat is acceptable, but I prefer to use my shawl purchased last year in Turkey. Wrap around skirts to go over jeans ad trousers, as well as shawls, are supplied outside most church buildings for those who come unprepared. Men must take hats off, and shorts are definitely unacceptable here - knees and shoulders must always be covered. Men in shorts have to suffer the indignity of wearing one of the ladies' wrap around skirts. They don't make that mistake again! We find that there are zealous monks who police these respectful dress codes wherever we go. And quite right too!

We see the end of the service, where the presiding priest uses his hand held cross aloft to bless the people, who are then all sprinkled with holy water before going up to kiss the cross and each collect a small piece of bread, somewhat resembling a small scone.

These have been blessed (they are not consecrated) and they are either eaten there and then or taken home to distribute among friends and family, to spread the blessing farther afield (yesterday in Tbilisi in the oldest church we saw these left in a bowl with handwritten lists of persons departed this life for whom prayers are requested). I may have missed some features of this sacred space, as we have to move on and I have spent too much time enjoying the service. But I did see the relic of St Andrew's foot, the cupola, the frescoes, the reliefs on the outside walls. We have to travel on…..

Holy Georgia: in the steps of St Nino and the Syrian Fathers - Day 2

Cows! There are cows everywhere. They not only graze in the (mostly unfenced) pastures, which are wonderfully rich in wild flowers, but they also stroll on the verges by the side of the road, even along main highways, seemingly unperturbed by the fast moving traffic swishing past, perilously close to them. They look like Jersey or Guernsey cows, honey colored with big doleful eyes, but we are told they are a Georgian breed, especially sure footed to cope with the mountainous terrain.

Cows are of course revered by the Hindus as a source of food and life (contrary to popular perception they are not worshiped or regarded as sacred by Hindus. See Why is the Cow Important to Hindus ).  But Georgia is a very Christian country and that is why we are here; as Christian Pilgrims, come to follow the route of St Nino and the Syrian fathers through the beautiful churches, monasteries, cathedrals and sacred places of this wonderful country. As well as all the cows, I am enthralled by the many broom bushes here along the roadside, in full flower in May, the yellow blossoms almost luminescent in the sunshine. But it is not sunny today. We wake up to rain and it feels very muggy and humid. This may be short lived. It looks as if it may clear later although first we are destined to drive through torrential rain and a dramatic electrical storm.

It is Day 2. Yesterday we completed the first day of our pilgrimage to Holy Caucasian Georgia at the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary where we held a group Eucharist, the first of three we will celebrate during our pilgrimage. The priest at the church is proud to give us a talk on the history of Christianity and Catholicism in Georgia, and of his church in particular, before we commence our service. The church standing today dates back to the early nineteenth century, but an earlier church here was built in 1671. The present church was closed during the Soviet period, and was used as a storehouse, before it was restored and reopened in 1999 for the visit of the Pope St. John Paul II to Georgia. The architecture is eclectic, with elements of pseudo-gothic and baroque styles.

There are currently about 50,000 Roman Catholics in Georgia. They date back to the Ottoman period when the Muslim rulers were more tolerant of Catholicism than of Orthodoxy. Many Orthodox Christians became Roman Catholics at that time rather than convert to Islam. It has to be said that today there does not appear to be total harmony between the Catholic and the Orthodox Christians - see for example "Being a catholic in Georgia"). There is seemingly a negative attitude towards Roman Catholics in Georgia and some dispute over certain churches assigned to the Orthodox Christians at the end of the Soviet era. Some of us found the acoustics in the church difficult and missed some of the explanations but there is plenty to be found on the internet for those who wish to learn more of the history of Roman Catholicism in Georgia.

We had an early dinner last night, most of us glad to retire to our rooms to catch up on our sleep. We needed to restore our energy levels in preparation for our drive westwards to Imereti, setting for the story of the Golden Fleece stopping off en route at Mtskheta, (pron. Skayta) Georgia's ancient capital and still its spiritual capital today, the center of its religious life. It is just 20 km and an easy 30 minute drive away from Tbilisi.

The Jvaris(Cross) Church Mtshketa

There has been a settlement here in Mtshketa for over 3000 years. People used to come here to make gifts to their pagan gods, as it was the center of the pagan cult of Armazi.. Bulls were apparently the most common sacrifice and there used to be a statue on the hilltop to Armazi, but only the description remains, of an iron warrior, with golden helmet and shield, visible from all around.

Now Christian pilgrims come here from across the world to visit Svetiskhoveli Cathedral.

Svetiskhoveli Cathedral

Here tradition holds that fragments of the crucifixion robe of Christ are buried, brought to Georgia by Elias soon after Christ's death. Elias's sister Sidonia is said to have been so enthralled by this relic that she died of joy clutching it in her hands so tightly that it had to be buried here with her. A cedar tree grew out of her grave, the wood from which was used to build St Nino's first church, on this spot, in the fourth century. This is also the area where in the same century St Nino erected the first Christian cross.

Only one month before our visit, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, announced Mtshketa to be the Holy City of Georgia, during his Sunday sermon on April 6th 2014 at the Cathedral of Saint Trinity in Tbilisi. He said that the decree on bestowing the title of Holy City upon Mtskheta had already been enacted and furthermore that this was fulfilling formally the wishes in the final will of Melkisedek I, the first Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, who reigned from 1010 to 1033. He has been revered as a saint by the Georgian Orthodox Church, canonized on October 17th 2002, his feast day being October 14th. Of all the icons I took photos, I cannot believe I do not have one for this vitally important saint. So I am sorry that I have had to resort to the internet instead!

In 1994 the whole of the old city was included as a UNESCO world heritage site.

In my next post I shall say much more about these sites which are so sacred to Georgian Christians....