Bagrati Cathedral

　　    Bagrati Cathedral was constructed in the late 10th century in honor of Bagrat III, the first king of a unified Georgia, and was completed in the early 11th century. Parts of the structure were destroyed by the Turks in 1691, but the ruins remain in the center of Kutaisi. The main buildings of Gelati Monastery were built between the 12th and 17th centuries. This is a well-preserved architectural complex featuring exquisite mosaics and magnificent frescoes.

　　    Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery represent the flourishing of medieval Georgian architecture and were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 under criterion C (iv). Bagrati Cathedral, located in Kutaisi, is a milestone of medieval Georgian culture. Constructed between 1001 and 1008, the cathedral is a cross-domed structure adorned with rich stone carvings and filled with frescoes inside. Gelati Monastery (12th–18th centuries) is a treasure of medieval art. For centuries, it served as a major educational and spiritual center for the Georgian people. Its founder, King David IV, implemented a series of ambitious policies that established a powerful feudal kingdom in Georgia, influencing neighboring countries and establishing the Georgian Kingdom as a dominant power in the Near East.