Bodbe Monastery

Bodbe Monastery sits on a wooded hillside above Sighnaghi, looking out over the Alazani Valley. The monastery is the burial place of St. Nino, the 4th-century woman credited with converting the Georgian royal family to Christianity, and it remains one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the country.

The present basilica mostly dates from the 9th and 11th centuries, though it has been rebuilt and modified many times. The interior frescoes are well preserved, and the tomb of St. Nino lies under a carved stone canopy at the south end of the nave. Below the monastery, a path leads down through terraced gardens to a holy spring where pilgrims collect water. The monastery is active and women must cover their heads to enter. The combination of the religious site and the panoramic valley views makes this the most popular day trip from Sighnaghi.

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A story
St. Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century, is said to have ended her life at Bodbe and been buried here. She is traditionally depicted carrying a cross made from vine branches, bound with her own hair — an image that connects Georgian Christianity to the land and the vine in a way that resonates through the entire culture. Her grave became a pilgrimage site within decades of her death, and has remained one ever since.