Shuamta Monasteries

Visitors to Telavi can enrich their experience by venturing beyond the city to explore two remarkable monasteries—New and Old Shuamta. These sacred sites are located quite close to one another: the New Shuamta Monastery lies near the main Tbilisi-Telavi highway, while the Old Shuamta Monastery is tucked away in a forest clearing, accessible by a winding path that leads from its newer counterpart.

The name “Shuamta” in Georgian means “between the mountains,” derived from shua (middle, central) and mta (mountain). Curiously, this name might seem somewhat misleading to the modern traveler—unlike the iconic Gergeti Trinity Monastery, which towers above the surrounding peaks, the Shuamta monasteries are not encircled by striking mountain ranges. The nearest prominent elevation, Katsebiskhevi Gorge, lies about five kilometers away.

The founding of the New Shuamta Monastery is intimately tied to the life of Princess Tinatin Gurieli of Guria. In 1520, as she traveled through the region on her way to marry King Levan of Kakheti, her entourage paused near the Old Shuamta Monastery. There, she spotted a cornelian cherry bush and was struck by a powerful memory: a dream in which the Virgin Mary had appeared to her, instructing her to build a monastery precisely where she would encounter such a bush. This mystical vision stirred her deeply, especially as she approached a dynastic marriage to a king she barely knew, in a land that was foreign to her in every way.

Princess Tinatin vowed to construct a monastery on that very spot—and true to her word, she did. Yet the spiritual fulfillment she found did not translate into personal happiness. Nine years later, she initiated a divorce from King Levan—an extraordinary act for a woman in the medieval world, where such decisions were virtually unheard of. After their separation, the former Queen of Kakheti took religious vows and retired to the very monastery she had founded, dedicating the rest of her life to its spiritual life. Her aversion to her former husband was so pronounced that she explicitly requested not to be buried near him in the royal necropolis at Gremi. Instead, she chose Akhali Shuamta as her final resting place, perhaps not out of bitterness, but simply because it had become her true home in life and spirit.

Today, her marble tombstone is still preserved and is considered one of the monastery’s main treasures. Alongside it lies the grave of the celebrated Georgian nobleman and Russian army officer Alexander Chavchavadze—a poet, intellectual, winemaker, and the father-in-law of famed Russian diplomat and playwright Alexander Griboedov. Tinatin’s tombstone bears the oldest surviving depiction of the Bagrationi dynasty’s coat of arms in Georgia, carved in relief.

Today, New Shuamta is an active women’s monastery. While entrance is permitted, the main gates are typically closed out of respect for the privacy of the nuns, some of whom prefer minimal contact with visitors—especially male visitors. To gain access, one must ring a small bell installed near the entrance.

The monastery is modest in size, consisting of the Church of the Virgin Mary, a bell tower, and several utility buildings. Most visitors are only allowed into the church itself. Unlike many historic sites that cater to tourism with shops and spectacle, Akhali Shuamta is a truly sacred place—serene, austere, and refreshingly untouched by commercial trappings. Casual tourists seeking entertainment rather than spiritual contemplation might find themselves out of place here.

The church façade is adorned with intricately shaped crosses carved as recessed patterns in the brickwork—an architectural hallmark of 16th-century Georgian ecclesiastical design. Its structure is reminiscent of the Church of the Archangels in Gremi Castle, which is no coincidence: the two were built within roughly three decades of one another. In earlier times, the interior walls of Akhali Shuamta were richly decorated with frescoes. However, after Georgia’s annexation into the Russian Empire and the dissolution of the Georgian Orthodox Church’s autocephaly, many of these murals were inexplicably whitewashed. Restoration efforts in the 20th century managed to uncover and save several of these works, including one particularly evocative fresco depicting Tinatin alongside her former husband, King Levan—a powerful and paradoxical symbol of personal faith, political alliance, and the eternal complexities of the human heart.

Until the nearby women’s monastery was founded by Princess Tinatin Gurieli, Old Shuamta—known in Georgian as Dzveli Shuamta—was simply Shuamta: the first and only monastery bearing that name. Established in the 5th century, even before the arrival of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers who brought monasticism to Georgia, Dzveli Shuamta consists of three modest churches: a 5th-century basilica and two 7th-century domed churches. One of the latter, the larger of the two, is cruciform in shape and bears a striking resemblance to the iconic Jvari Monastery in Mtskheta.

The Basilica

Architecturally, the basilica is a hall-type church featuring an external gallery. One of the most remarkable aspects of Old Shuamta is a passage that connects the basilica directly to the larger domed church—built so closely together that you can walk seamlessly from one to the other.

The Large Domed Church

This second church was constructed after the arrival of the Assyrian Fathers in Georgia, as evidenced by its architectural similarity to the Jvari Monastery. The only real differences lie in its size and the relative simplicity of its ornamentation. Today, the flat dome mimics the silhouette of the Jvari dome almost exactly. However, an old photograph shows the church with a conical dome, suggesting that the modern version was reconstructed during restoration efforts to enhance its likeness to the revered prototype.

The Small Domed Church

The third structure is a more modest interpretation of the larger domed church. It lacks corner chambers and has a simplified apse, presenting a purer architectural form known as a tetraconch—a design featuring four apses arranged around a central space.

All three churches within Old Shuamta remain consecrated and active. Yet visitors are unlikely to encounter clergy or worshippers. The silence, the flicker of candles burning quietly before the altar, and the monastery’s secluded setting on the forest’s edge lend it an atmosphere that feels deeply mystical and almost otherworldly.

A Hidden Spring

If you take the path from the parking area toward the basilica, about halfway along, a narrow trail branches off to the right. This leads downhill to a natural spring hidden in the woods—an unmarked gem, perfectly in keeping with the site’s quiet spirituality.

Admission to the Shuamta monasteries is free. Visiting hours are from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

By car, take the Telavi–Tbilisi highway and follow the signs toward the Akhali Shuamta Monastery. From there, continue on a dirt road to reach Dzveli Shuamta. Alternatively, if you’re on foot, the walk from central Telavi is only 1.5 km through a scenic forest trail.

To make the most of your visit, combine the Shuamta monasteries with other nearby attractions. These include the town of Telavi itself, the Ikalto Monastery (10 km from Shuamta), the Alaverdi Cathedral (23 km), the medieval Gremi Castle (29 km), Lake Lopota (32 km), and the Nekresi Monastery (43 km). Each destination enriches your journey through Georgia’s storied Kakheti region, where sacred architecture and natural beauty are inseparably intertwined.