Georgia is an officially secular nation that embraces followers of all major world religions, allowing them to practice their faith freely. A significant turning point for religion in Georgia occurred in 326 AD when the country became widely recognized as the second nation in the world, after Armenia, to adopt Christianity. Today, approximately 80% of Georgia’s population identifies as Christian, with the majority belonging to the Georgian Orthodox Church, which stands as the most influential and powerful religious institution in the country.
Islam is the second-largest religion in Georgia, predominantly practiced among the Abkhazians and Georgians from Adjara, as well as among the Azerbaijani population residing primarily in the Kvemo Kartli region. The Kist people, who live in Pankisi Gorge, also identify as Muslim.
In addition to these groups, various ethnic communities such as Assyrians, Armenians, Greeks, and Russians maintain their own Orthodox churches in Georgia. There is also a small Catholic community, alongside one of the oldest Jewish diasporas in the world, and even smaller groups of Lutherans and Doukhobors, a pacifist Christian sect of Russian origin.
According to Orthodox Christian tradition, in 44 AD, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the apostles cast lots to determine their respective missions. It is said that Iberia (modern-day Georgia) was the first of the Four Earthly Domains allotted to Mary, who is celebrated as a patron saint of the country by Georgian Christians.
Church chronicles assert that Mary could not travel to Iberia herself and, in accordance with divine will, remained in Jerusalem. Instead, she sent the apostle Andrew to preach in her place. During this time, two kingdoms existed in what is now Georgia: Kartli (Iberia) in the east and Egrisi (Colchis) in the west. Apostle Andrew preached in both regions, a fact corroborated by Georgian chroniclers as well as Greek and Latin church authors. In the village of Atskuri, near modern-day Akhaltsikhe, Andrew performed a miracle by bringing a dead man back to life, which led to the first conversions to Christianity in the area. Before leaving, Andrew placed an image of the Virgin Mary on a wooden plaque, creating an icon for the townspeople to pray to. This Atskuri Icon of the Mother of God is believed to be the first of its kind and is currently housed in the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi.
For centuries, local Christians faced persecution until Christianity was officially declared the state religion of Georgia in 326 AD. The transformation is attributed to St. Nino, a female evangelist believed to have been born in the Roman province of Cappadocia. After receiving a vision from the Virgin Mary instructing her to preach the Gospel in Iberia, St. Nino journeyed to the Caucasus. According to tradition, she erected a large wooden cross atop an old pagan shrine outside Mtskheta, the capital of Iberia. Miraculous events surrounding the cross attracted pilgrims from all over the Caucasus, and the site is now known as Jvari (Cross) Church. St. Nino is also credited with converting King Mirian III of Iberia to Christianity, thereby establishing the faith as the official state religion.
By the end of the 4th century, Christianity had firmly taken root in Georgia, but the country faced invasions from Persians, Arabs, Turks, and Mongols—each adhering to different religions—who sought to force the Georgian people to abandon their beliefs, leading to many martyrs. Despite these challenges, the faith endured.
Since the 9th century, the Georgian Orthodox Church has been led by the Catholicos-Patriarch. During the 12th century, at the height of the Georgian Golden Age, King David IV (known as David the Builder) commissioned the construction of the Gelati Monastery and Academy near Kutaisi. This institution quickly gained renown as one of the foremost theological and scientific schools in the Orthodox world. Many other churches and monasteries scattered across Georgia also served as educational centers during their prime.
After Georgia became part of the Russian Empire in the early 19th century, the Georgian Orthodox Church lost its autonomy and was subsumed into the Russian Orthodox Church. Even the Georgian Patriarchate was abolished, contrary to the official beliefs of the local church. On the eve of the 1917 Russian Revolution, Georgian authorities declared independence, allowing the Georgian Church’s sovereignty to be restored. However, during the subsequent decades of Soviet rule, atheism—though never officially declared a state ideology—was actively promoted by the ruling party. Many churches were closed, and numerous priests were arrested. The revival of Christianity in Georgia began only with perestroika in the 1980s.
Since 1977, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church has been Ilia II, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi. Today, Christianity in Georgia is experiencing one of its strongest periods in history, with the country welcoming thousands of religious tourists each year. Visitors flock to admire the relics housed in its historic churches and museums and to explore the many sacred sites scattered throughout the nation.
Georgia is home to one of the oldest Jewish diasporas in the world. According to medieval Georgian chronicles, Jews first arrived in Georgia following the capture of Jerusalem in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon, during the Babylonian exile. Over the centuries, the Jewish community in Georgia has managed to preserve its faith and cultural identity. Although the population saw a significant decline in the latter half of the 20th century due to emigration from the Soviet Union, the majority of those who remain are concentrated in Tbilisi, the capital. Small Jewish communities can also be found in towns such as Kutaisi, Gori, Surami, Oni, Akhaltsikhe, and Batumi, where active synagogues continue to serve the local population.
The Armenian Apostolic Church has had a presence in Georgia since the 5th century AD, marking over 1500 years of historical significance. In the 11th century, it was officially recognized as a diocese in Georgia, with Surb Gevorg (Saint George’s Church) in Tbilisi designated as its administrative center. At its peak, there were over 600 religious and cultural sites associated with the Armenian Church in Georgia, including seminaries and monasteries. Sadly, many of these have been lost to natural disasters or vandalism over the years. Most of the Armenian diaspora still residing in Georgia remains deeply devoted to the Armenian Apostolic Church, which currently operates 32 active churches across the country. Two of these are located in Tbilisi, while the others are primarily situated in predominantly Armenian settlements in the Kvemo Kartli region and the towns of Akhalkalaki, Ninotsminda, and Tsalka in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region.
The Russian Orthodox Church made its entrance into Georgia when the country was absorbed into the Russian Empire in 1801. From 1811 to 1917, the Georgian Orthodox Church functioned merely as an extension of the Russian Church, which held dominant status. Initially, followers of the Russian Orthodox faith in Georgia were mainly Russian imperial government employees, military personnel, and their families, along with voluntary migrants from other territories of the Russian Empire.
During the Soviet era, Russian churches suffered the same fate as many religious buildings across different faiths—some were destroyed, while others were repurposed as public offices, museums, libraries, and warehouses. Today, Tbilisi is home to three Russian Orthodox churches, where services are partially conducted in the Russian language. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in 1864, houses relics of revered figures such as St. Mary Magdalene, St. Nino, and St. Nicholas. The Church of St. Michael of Tver, constructed between 1911 and 1913, is celebrated for its traditional Russian architectural style and breathtaking views of Tbilisi. The Church of St. John the Theologian, built at the turn of the 20th century, is distinguished by its whitewashed walls and the iconic onion domes that crown its bell tower.
Islam first arrived in Georgia in the 7th century when the forces of Osman, the Third Caliph of Islam, invaded Eastern Georgia and established Islamic rule. Today, Muslims make up about 10 percent of the Georgian population, divided mainly into two groups. The Sunni Hanafi Muslims are primarily concentrated along the border with Turkey in the Adjara Autonomous Republic, a region where the history of Ottoman rule contributed to the spread of Islam. The Ithna Ashariyah Shia Muslims, mainly ethnic Azerbaijanis, reside along the borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Kists, an ethnic minority group living in Pankisi Gorge, predominantly practice a form of Sunni Islam. One of Georgia’s most historic mosques is the beautiful 18th-century Juma Mosque, located in Old Tbilisi, nestled between the Narikala Fortress and the famous sulfur baths. The second most prominent mosque can be found in Batumi, along with several smaller mosques scattered throughout mountainous Adjara.
The Catholic community in Georgia has existed for centuries, though it has never been large. Today, it comprises approximately 80,000 individuals, or about 2% of the population. The history of Catholicism in Georgia began in the 13th century, two centuries after the East-West Schism divided Christianity into its two major branches. This split had a relatively minor impact in Georgia, where Orthodox kings were known to welcome representatives from the Papacy, allowing Catholicism to gain a foothold. The first missionaries to arrive were Franciscan, soon followed by Dominicans. Their efforts led to the establishment of a formal Latin episcopal see in Georgia that operated from the 13th to the 16th centuries.
In the years that followed, many Catholic churches in Georgia were either transferred to the Georgian Orthodox Church or fell victim to destruction during the Soviet regime. Today, only a handful of Catholic churches remain operational in the country, the most notable being the Cathedral of Our Lady and St. Peter and Paul Church, both located in Tbilisi, as well as the Church of the Holy Spirit in Batumi. The stunning Holy Annunciation Church in Kutaisi, which once served as a Catholic church, is now under the jurisdiction of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Throughout history, numerous prominent cultural figures of Catholic background have emerged in Georgia, including Zakaria Paliashvili, the composer of Georgia’s national anthem and the founder of a national composers’ school; Petre Melikishvili, the founder of Tbilisi State University; Simon Kaukhchishvili, a pioneer in Georgian classical philology; the Zubalashvili brothers, renowned businessmen and philanthropists; and Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, one of Georgia’s most celebrated writers, scholars, and politicians.
The Doukhobors, whose name translates to “Spirit Wrestlers,” represent both an ethnic group and a religious community. Originating in Russia, the majority of Doukhobors now reside in Russia, the Caucasus, or Canada. They refer to themselves as “Orthodox Christians without mediators” and do not attend traditional church services. Their beliefs encompass concepts of reincarnation and the Holy Spirit, and they do not accept the cross as a symbol, relying instead on various spells and enchantments. Consequently, they have historically been viewed as a sect by the Russian Orthodox Church.
In 1839, Russian Emperor Nicholas I issued an ultimatum to the Doukhobors: either convert to the mainstream religion in Russia or relocate permanently to the newly annexed Caucasus region. As a result, between 1839 and 1845, approximately 5,000 Doukhobors settled in the Georgian regions of Javakheti and Dmanisi, establishing ten villages: Vladimirovka, Tambovka, Rodionovka, Bogdanovka, Spasovka, Orlovka, Gorelovka, Efremovka, Kalmzkovo, and Troitskoe.
Following a mass migration of Doukhobors from Georgia in the 1990s, only one of these villages, Gorelovka, remains today. This unique settlement features around 50 homes and approximately 135 inhabitants, where Russian is the primary language, and residents continue to wear traditional clothing reminiscent of their ancestors. The Doukhobors are also celebrated for preserving the tradition of Russian folk singing, which remains a vibrant part of their cultural identity.
In the early 19th century, German Lutherans became the first Protestant group to migrate to Georgia, attracted by promises of religious freedom, exemption from military service, financial assistance, and a decade of tax exemption. In September 1817, the first group of Lutheran immigrants—31 families from Swabia, Germany—arrived in Tbilisi. Over the next two years, they established six significant German colonies in Georgia: Marienfeld, Neu-Tiflis, Alexanderdorf, Petersdorf, Elizabettal, and Katarinenfeld. Today, the traditional German architecture in these historical areas continues to captivate visitors.
In 1897, the beautiful Saints Peter and Paul Lutheran Church was inaugurated on the banks of the Mtkvari River in Tbilisi. This church housed a well-respected German school that remained operational for several years even after the Soviets came to power; notably, it was attended by the son of Lavrentiy Beria, the head of the Soviet secret police, for a time. Unfortunately, the church was destroyed after the early 1930s, when Lutherans began facing persecution.
The revival of Lutheranism in Georgia is closely associated with the efforts of Hert Hummel, a professor from Lutheran University in Saarbrücken, Germany, who moved to Georgia in the late 1980s to conduct missionary work. After selling his home in Germany, Hummel began constructing a new Lutheran church in Georgia in 1995. In 1997, exactly one hundred years after the original Saints Peter and Paul Lutheran Church was established, the new Evangelical Lutheran Reconciliation Church opened its doors in Tbilisi. Other Lutheran congregations in Georgia include the Holy Trinity Protestant Church in Batumi and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rustavi, with a small community of Lutherans also residing in the town of Gori.