The Gelati Monastery sits in the forested hills about 10 kilometres northeast of Kutaisi, and is one of the most important medieval sites in Georgia. It was founded in 1106 by King David IV (David the Builder) and served not just as a monastery but as an academy — a centre of learning intended to rival Constantinople, where Georgian theologians, philosophers, and scientists gathered to teach.
The Church of the Virgin — the main cathedral — contains some of Georgia's finest medieval mosaics, including a 12th-century depiction of the Virgin with Archangels that is remarkably well preserved. The interior walls are covered in frescoes spanning several centuries, and the Tomb of King David IV is set into the monastery entrance — he chose the gateway so that everyone entering would walk over his grave. The Gelati Academy ruins represent what was once one of the great intellectual centres of the medieval world.
The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and includes three churches, a bell tower, and the ruins of the academy. The setting is quiet and wooded, well removed from the road below. The nearby Motsameta Monastery, 4 km away on a cliff above a river gorge, makes a natural second stop.
Gelati is easily visited as a half-day trip from Kutaisi. A taxi from the city takes about 20 minutes.