Kvatakhevi

Kvatakhevi (Georgian: ქვათახევი) is a medieval Georgian Orthodox monastery in Shida Kartli, Georgia, about 5 km south east of the village Tsinarekhi and 55 km (34 mi) west of the nation’s capital of Tbilisi.

The Kvatakhevi monastic complex is situated near the village Kavtiskhevi at the end of the gorge cut by a stream in the northern slopes of the Trialeti Range, protected on three sides by the steep mountain slopes.

The decoration abounds in fretwork, especially around the windows and the base of the dome; the eastern façade is adorned with a large ornate cross.

It also possessed a treasure with many artifacts of medieval Georgian jewelry, a sizeable portion of which was later acquired by and are now on display at the Moscow State Historical Museum.

[1] The monastery was significantly damaged during Timur's invasions of Georgia in the 14th century, but was subsequently repaired, more completely under the patronage of Prince Ivane Tarkhan-Mouravi in 1854.