Mtskheta

The ancient capital of the Kingdom of Iberia and now a UNESCO World Heritage city, Mtskheta sits at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers about 20 kilometers north of Tbilisi. The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, built in the eleventh century on the site where Christianity was introduced to Georgia, is the largest cathedral in the country and the traditional place of coronation for Georgian kings. The Jvari Monastery on the opposite hilltop — built in the sixth century — overlooks the confluence and the cathedral from across the valley, providing one of the region's most layered historical panoramas.