Georgia is renowned for its multitude of churches, monasteries, and Orthodox sacred sites. One of the most revered historical locations in the nation is the Bodbe Monastery, intricately linked to the name of Saint Nino, the Equal-to-the-Apostles, who brought Christianity to this land. Many consider Bodbe to be a place of profound spiritual significance.
The village of Bodbe, home to the monastery, is situated near the town of Sighnaghi in the Kakheti region, approximately 95 kilometers from Tbilisi. Here, the relics of Saint Nino are preserved, attracting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world each year who come to pay their respects.
Saint Nino, born in the late 3rd century in Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey), had an unparalleled impact on the spiritual life of Georgia by introducing Christianity to the country. Nino was a relative of the Patriarch of Jerusalem and a cousin of the most revered saint in Georgia, Saint George the Victorious.
As a child, she was raised by the elder Nianfora, from whom Nino learned that, according to tradition, the tunic of Jesus Christ was located in Iberia (the ancient name for Georgia). Inspired by this revelation, the young girl began to pray to the Virgin Mary to help her find it.
The Mother of God heard her prayers and appeared to her in a dream, presenting Nino with a cross woven from grapevines and instructing her to go to Iberia to preach the Gospel. Upon waking, Nino found the very cross beside her. Thus began her journey to Iberia.
Upon her arrival in Georgia, Nino lived as a humble hermit, unnoticed by others. According to legend, during a festival honoring a pagan deity, Nino, deeply saddened by the people’s blindness, fervently prayed to God. Suddenly, a storm broke out, shattering the pagan idol into pieces.
The people blamed Nino, the foreigner, for this event, but no one could harm her.
One day, Queen Nana, the wife of King Mirian III, who ruled in the fourth century, fell gravely ill. News reached the royal family that a foreigner named Nino was performing miracles through her prayers in Iberia. In their desperation, the king and queen summoned Nino to their court.
Through her prayers, Nino healed the queen, prompting Nana to embrace Christianity and renounce her pagan beliefs. Following her lead, King Mirian also converted, although this is tied to another story.
During a hunting expedition, the king witnessed a solar eclipse, where darkness enveloped the land in the middle of the day. The gods he had previously worshipped did not respond to his pleas, so he turned to the God that Saint Nino prayed to. At that moment, darkness lifted, and the sun returned to the sky.
Christianity has existed in Georgia since approximately 326 AD, while the baptism of Rus took place 662 years later, in 988 AD. Despite the royal family’s enthusiastic acceptance of Christianity, its spread in rural areas was slow. A significant contribution to the education of Georgia was made by Assyrian fathers who arrived in the 530s, establishing monasteries, some of which, dating back to the 6th century, still stand today.
Saint Nino spent many years in Georgia, preaching the Christian faith. She healed the sick, assisted those in need, and comforted souls.
She eventually discovered what she had long sought: the burial place of the tunic of Jesus Christ. On this site, in the town of Mtskheta, a wooden church was built, which later became the majestic Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.
According to legend, Saint Nino passed away in 347 AD in Bodbe, where she had lived for several years in a tent. King Mirian intended to transport her body to Mtskheta, but the oxen could not move. Nino was buried where her tent had stood, and a temple was erected on her grave, although it has not survived to this day. Later, a three-nave cathedral dedicated to Saint George was constructed on this site, where the national treasure of Georgia—Saint Nino’s grave—can now be found.
With the approval of the Patriarchate of Antioch, the Georgian Orthodox Church canonized Nino as an Equal-to-the-Apostles and established her feast day on January 27, the anniversary of her death.
Over time, a monastery developed around the church, quickly becoming a cultural center and later the heart of the Bodbe Diocese. Here, the kings of Kakheti were crowned. There is even a version of events suggesting that the Persian Shah Abbas attended the coronation of Teimuraz I in 1605, although this did not prevent him from later destroying the Bodbe Monastery.
In 1837, following the abolition of the autocephaly of the Georgian Church, the Russian administration dissolved the Bodbe Diocese. Only a few monks remained, leading to the monastery’s decline. In 1888, Emperor Alexander III visited Sighnaghi and, in 1989, ordered the restoration of the monastery. Bodbe was renovated and soon transformed into the largest monastery in Kakheti.
Interestingly, from 1902 to 1906, the abbess of the monastery was Mother Juvenalia II (born Tamara Mardzhanishvili), the sister of the renowned Georgian director Kote Mardzhanishvili. During this time, the monastery also housed a school for noble girls.
The Bodbe Monastery is a unique architectural complex, featuring the Church of Saint George the Victorious, the Cathedral of Saint Nino, her relics, a sacred spring, and various monastic buildings, all surrounded by a beautiful garden. From the monastery grounds, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of the Alazani Valley.
In addition to its connection to the memory of Saint Nino, the Bodbe Monastery is blessed with a remarkable natural gift—a miraculous spring that has become a symbol of healing and spiritual strength.
Located three kilometers from the monastery, beneath a small church dedicated to Zechariah and Elizabeth (the parents of Saint Nino), this spring was constructed in the 1990s. It draws countless pilgrims and believers seeking healing, support, and the sacred atmosphere of the site.
The water from this miraculous spring is considered holy and is believed to cure ailments. Many individuals suffering from various illnesses visit in search of healing, and numerous accounts of recovery and relief after drinking this water have emerged.
One of the monastery’s most cherished treasures is the Iverian Icon of the Mother of God, one of the most venerated icons in Georgia. This miraculous, myrrh-streaming icon was preserved in the monastery’s church after its closure in 1924, when the monastery was repurposed as a hospital, even serving as an operating table at times. The marks of a surgical scalpel can still be seen on the face of the Virgin Mary.
The monastery also operates a sizable estate, featuring icon-painting and craft workshops. The nuns engage in educational activities, preparing new theological books for publication using ancient manuscripts. Recently, a shop was established on the monastery grounds, offering only products cultivated and crafted by the nuns: flowers, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, honey, jams, and other preserves. This shop is conveniently located in front of the monastery complex.