Jvari Monastery is located in the town of Mtskheta in eastern Georgia, on the top of Mount Jvari.
In this place, according to traditional Georgian sources, at the beginning of the fourth century Saint Nino, evangelizer of Georgia, erected a large wooden cross on what was then the site of a pagan temple.
The cross, believed to be miraculous, attracted numerous pilgrims from all over the Caucasus.
A small church was erected on the remains of the wooden cross in about 545, while the current building is believed to have been built between 586 and 605.
In the Middle Ages the structure was fortified with a wall, of which only a few remains have survived.
During the Soviet period, the church was preserved as a national monument, but access to it was made difficult by the security measures provided due to the presence of a nearby military base.
The building has four apses, one in each direction and normally of equal size and is typical of Byzantine architecture.
Several bas-reliefs that decorate the exterior of the church have Hellenistic influences and others from the Persian Empire.
The Jvari Monastery had a strong influence on Georgian architecture and served as a model for other constructions.
It is located near the confluence of the Mt’k’vari and Aragvi rivers.
In 1994, it was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites along with the other historical monuments of Mtskheta.
