Sioni Cathedral

The Cathedral of Sioni was named after the sacred Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The first sacred building on this site dates back to the sixth century, the initiator of the construction was King Iberius Vakhtang the First Gorgasali. It lasted several centuries. As a result, it was destroyed by the Arabs. In 1122 David the Builder ordered the temple to be rebuilt. After that, many times the temple was destroyed by raids, earthquakes, ancient frescoes and iconostasis were lost. Only in 1980-1983, a major restoration was carried out, and the Cathedral of Zion received the appearance of the medieval period. On the facades appeared bas-reliefs, inside – new frescoes belonging to the painter Gagarin. On the territory of the cathedral you can see two bell towers. But the main value of the cathedral is the cross of St. Nino. According to legend, it was gifted by Nino the Virgin before being sent to Georgia. Nino's vine and hair are woven into the cross. The temple has preserved the memory of a significant event – the wedding of Alexander Griboyedov and Nino Chavchavadze.

The dome of the temple is visible from any point of Old Tbilisi. It can be reached by buses 31, 44, 50, 55, 71, 80, 102 (stop "Sioni Temple").