Bagrati Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Dormition, or the Kutaisi Cathedral, more commonly known as Bagrati Cathedral (; ბაგრატის ტაძარი, or Bagratis tadzari), is the 11th-century cathedral church in the city of Kutaisi, the region of Imereti, Georgia. The cathedral, now in ruins, has gone down as a masterpiece in the history of medieval Georgian architecture.

A distinct landmark in the scenery of central Kutaisi, the cathedral rests upon the top of Uk’imerioni Hill. It was built in the early years of the 11th century, during the reign of King Bagrat III due to which it was called "Bagrati" Cathedral, i.e., Bagrat’s cathedral. An inscription on the north wall reveals that the floor was laid in "chronicon 223", i.e., 1003. In 1692, it was devastated in an explosion by the Ottoman troops, which had invaded the Kingdom of Imereti. The incident caused the cupola and ceiling to collapse leaving the cathedral in its present state.

The conservation and restoration works, as well as archaeological studies, which began in 1952, are still underway. In 1994, the Bagrati Cathedral, together with the Gelati Monastery, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list as a single entity. In 2001, the cathedral was restored to the Georgian Orthodox Church. It is now of limited use for worship services, but attracts many pilgrims and tourists. It is also frequently used as a symbol of the whole city of Kutaisi, being one of its main tourist attractions.

Threats to Bagrati Cathedral

Improper reconstruction to return the structure back to its original use as a religious space, as ICOMOS reports it should be left as a ruin.UNESCO Report on the Mission to Historical Monuments of Mtskheta and Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery, Georgia, June 2-10, 2008.

Burials

• George I of Georgia

References

cs:Katedrála Bagrati es:Catedral de Bagrati fr:Cathédrale de Bagrati it:Cattedrale di Bagrati he:קתדרלת בגרטי ka:ბაგრატის ტაძარი mn:Баграт цогчин дуган nl:Kathedraal van Bagrati ja:バグラティ大聖堂 no:Bagratikatedralen pl:Katedra Bagrata pt:Catedral de Bagrati ru:Храм Баграта sk:Katedrála Bagrati fi:Bagratin katedraali sv:Bagratikatedralen vi:Nhà thờ chính tòa Bagrati

Categories: Buildings | Buildings in Georgia | Buildings in , Georgia | UNESCO World Heritage Sites | UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe and North America | UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Georgia