Timotesubani Monastery

The village of Timotesubani is situated in the Borjomi municipality in Samtskhe-Javakheti, some 10 km southeast of the city of Borjomi.

In 2002 there were 254 people living in the village of Timotesubani and within the village there is a medieval monastery of the same name, Timotesubani.

Like most monasteries of the region Timotesubani Monastery consists of a series of buildings that were erected in different centuries. Construction works started presumably in the early 11th century, while the youngest buildings date from the 18th century.

The largest and most important building of Timotesubani Monastery is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built during the so-called "Golden Age of Georgia” during the reign of Queen Tamar between 1184 and 1213.

At that time the military power and economic development of the country reached a its peak and led to flourishing medieval Georgian painting, poetry and art in general.

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was presumably erected in the late 12th century and originally built in pink Georgian stone. The building rests on two free-standing columns and, like most of the churches of the time, it has a cross-in-square floor plan and an apsis on the east side.

It also possesses the typical tholobate. A tholobate is an upright part of a church building, often in the shape of a cylinder, on which the dome roof is raised. The tholobate usually has windows, true and false ones, all around.

Legend has it that the Church of the Assumption of Mary at Timotesubani was built by Georgian nobleman Eristavi Shalva of Akhaltsikhe. Shalva, who died in 1227, was a Georgian military commander of the noble house of Toreli-Akhaltsikhe. He was one of the most important military commanders in a series of expansionist wars under the reign of Georgian Queen Tamar.

The title “eristavi”, which means “head of the nation”, is roughly equivalent to the English "duke". In medieval Georgia this title was often appointed to successful ex-military commanders, who became governors of larger provinces.  

The Timotesubani church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is an important monument of Georgian cultural heritage, because of its frescoes from the early 13th century, which are of outstanding quality.

At the beginning of the 21st century the church and its interior were thoroughly repaired and renovated by the Georgian Arts & Culture Center (GACC). The Georgian Arts & Culture Center is the leading national cultural NGO dedicated to preserving, developing and promoting Georgian arts and culture.

How to get there:
The village Timotesubani is situated app. 18 km southeast of the city of Borjomi. You can reach Timoteisubani from Borjomi by taxi (15 GEL, 30min) or by minibus (2 GEL, 40min).

Distances from major cities:
Borjomi - Timoteisubani: 18 km | Akhaltsikhe - Timoteisubani: 65 km

Opening hours:
Timoteisubani Monastery can be visited at any time during the week and on weekends.

Admission fee:
There is no admission fee.

Important things to know:
There is a little shop nearby for water and local goods and in the village of Timoteisubani you can also find a few smaller guest houses.

Picture credits: SJDC

Project “Increased regional added value in the tourism sectors of Georgia by Digital Heritage Tourism Guides” was funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation.