The first Christian church built in Georgia

Mtskheta is one of the oldest cities in Georgia, with a history dating back to 2000 BC. From the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Kartli, and the origins of the Georgian script and the Christian church are closely related to this city. Although King Vakhtang I moved the capital to Tbilisi, 20 km away, after the 5th century, Mtskheta remains the cultural and spiritual capital of Georgia, and the baptism, coronation, wedding, and funeral of successive kings are still held in Mtskheta. The Cathedral of the Living Pillar is the most sacred place in the ancient city. The many visitors to the cathedral have turned the streets into a huge market, filled with all kinds of shops and stalls, from colorful handmade textile dolls to Georgia's special long-haired hats, and strings of Chruchkhela hanging in the air, colorful nut plates, ice cream, and the Turkish coffee buried in fine sand that is particularly popular in the Caucasus... The dazzling array of goods is overwhelming. The history of the Cathedral of the Living Pillar dates back to the 4th century AD, when King Mirian III of Kartli (also known as Iberia) ordered the construction of the church in the center of the capital Mtskheta at the suggestion of St. Nino. This was the first Christian church built in Georgia, and although it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, it has always been an important symbol of Georgian religion and culture. The present building was rebuilt by the medieval Georgian architect Arsukidze between 1010 and 1029. Before the construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, it was the largest and most magnificent Orthodox church in the Caucasus. Legend has it that the blood robe worn by Christ at his death was buried here, and later a cedar tree grew from the tomb, which was used to make seven pillars to support the church. However, during construction, one of the pillars rose into the sky and could not be pulled back until St. Nino prayed and it descended to the ground. It is said that the holy liquid seeping from this pillar can cure diseases, so King Mirian named the church Svetitskhoveli, which means "the pillar of life" in Georgian, and thus the church is translated into Chinese as the Cathedral of the Living Pillar. Unfortunately, the original frescoes in the church have been painted over, and the existing frescoes have been repainted and restored, with only a few remaining medieval frescoes. There is a small shrine in front of the stone pillar on the right side of the hall, where the blood robe of Jesus is said to be buried underground. It is also worth mentioning that the remains of several Georgian kings are buried under the floor of the church, the most famous of which are, of course, King Mirian III and Queen Nana, who led Georgia to convert to Christianity. Their burial places are simply marked with stone carvings on the ground.