Tsminda Sameba Cathedral

Georgia's largest cathedral, completed in 2004 on the hilltop east of the old town

Tsminda Sameba Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in the Caucasus and the spiritual symbol of post-independence Georgia. Completed in 2004 after nearly a decade of construction, it rises on the Elia Hill east of the old town, its golden dome visible from across the city.

The cathedral is enormous — 84 metres tall and capable of holding 15,000 worshippers — and the interior is decorated with frescoes, mosaics, and gilded iconostasis in the traditional Georgian style. It is an active place of worship, busy on Sunday mornings when services draw large congregations. The hilltop location provides good views over the eastern part of the city, and the approach through the surrounding gardens is pleasant.

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A story
The Tsminda Sameba Cathedral (Holy Trinity Cathedral) was built between 1995 and 2004 and immediately became both a symbol of Georgia's post-Soviet religious revival and a subject of controversy. During construction, an old Armenian church and a historic neighbourhood of Armenian homes were demolished to make way for it. The Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II championed the project; critics argued that the money and symbolism would have been better spent elsewhere. It remains a charged subject.

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