Family Journal: Georgian Orthodox Church History – January 4, 2026

I am interested in how Georgia became an unlikely Christian nation. It shares borders with several Islamic cultures, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Dagestan, and Chechnya. From what I read, the answer is that it became Christian before Islam started and the Georgians identified with religion, even while being ruled by foreign powers (Persians, Mongols, and Arabs). It is amazing that they held on to the Orthodox Church through over 1,300 years of rule by non-Christian empires. The Orthodox Christian Church has been the official religion of Georgia since King Mirian announced it in 337 CE (AD). Why did he do this? Since this happened 1,689 years ago and with no records, it is, of course, a legend. The story goes like this:

Nino was a woman who grew up in the Cappadocia region of what is now Turkey. This was before the Turks came to Anatolia and before Islam started, and most likely, Nino spoke Greek as a mother tongue. It is speculated that she was raised in the early Eastern Christian faith, as this was one of the early centers of Christianity. The Virgin Mary came to her in a vision/dream and gave her a cross made from grapevines. She tied the cross together with her own hair and, being so inspired, went to Georgia to proselytize there. While in the ancient capital of Georgia, Mtskheta, she was preaching and performing miracles and healing the sick. She cured King Miriam’s wife, Queen Nana, from an undiagnosed illness that the royal physicians could not. That was not enough to convert King Mirian, though, until one day he was struck blind while hunting. In shock, he called out to “Nino’s God,” and his sight was restored. From that day, he became a fervent Christian and hence, made his kingdom of Georgia Christian, too. 

Nino continued to spread Christianity in Georgia until she died in 340 CE in Bodbe, Georgia, where there is a monastery in her name today. I am going to explore her story and during the trip, I am learning about the Georgian Orthodox religion. The original grapevine cross is located in the Sioni Cathedral near our hotel here in Tbilisi. When I asked one of the priests where the Saint Nino cross was, he pointed behind him. It is only shown to the public on special occasions. I would guess it will be on display on her feast day on January 14.

Saint Nino erected a cross on the site of the Jvari Monastery after converting King Mirian to Christianity. The original wooden cross became a pilgrimage site. The current church on the site was built between 590 and 605 CE (AD) and is a masterpiece in early Georgian Christian architecture. The word jvari means cross in Georgian. It is located on a stunning promontory overlooking Mtskheta. It is absolutely beautiful and was the highlight of our trip yesterday. The place could easily be the Castle Greyjoy scene in HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Another interesting legend associated with the Georgian Church is that Christ’s robe is said to be buried underneath the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. A Georgian Jew, Elias, was present at Jesus’s crucifixion and took Jesus’s robe before he was crucified. He brought it back to his home in Mtskheta and showed his sister, Sidonia. When she grasped it, she was so overwhelmed that she instantly died while holding the robe and her grasp could not be unlocked. She was buried holding the robe. 

A large cedar tree grew over her grave, and the locals regarded it as sacred. When Saint Nino arrived at the place, she ordered that a church be built on the spot, and workers cut the cedar to make pillars for the new church. One of the pillars reportedly levitated in the air and “performed miracles” before being set into place with the other cedar pillars. The cathedral’s name, Svetitskhoveli means “Life-giving Pillar” in English. The cathedral still stands, and there is a marker where Sidonia’s grave was located and frescoes depicting the miracles. No official excavation of the site has been undertaken to search for the robe or the grave. The inside of the church was breathtaking and had a more relaxed vibe than the other churches we visited so far on the trip so we took a lot of photos.

It was a beautiful day with the family and we are really enjoying our time in Georgia. We finished the day by having dinner here at the hotel. We are heading to the wine region later today for two nights before we return to Tbilisi.