The largest medieval church in Georgia, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was built between 1010 and 1029 by the architect Arsukisdze and remains the centrepiece of Mtskheta. The name means "life-giving pillar" — a reference to the cedar column said to have grown from the grave of a Jewish woman who died clutching Christ's robe, brought here from Jerusalem. A small shrine inside the cathedral marks the spot.
The exterior walls are covered in ornamental carvings and relief panels, and fragments of the original frescoes survive inside. Georgian kings were buried here for centuries. Despite repeated damage — most severely during Tamerlane's invasion in the late 14th century — the cathedral still stands as the spiritual heart of the Georgian Orthodox Church.