Kutaisi is Georgia’s second largest city, legislative capital, and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km west of Tbilisi.
The Town of Kutaisi
Kutaisi is metropolis of the western part of Georgia. It spreads through the banks of a river of the Rioni. The population approximately 186,000 people. For the former Soviet Union era, car factories were famous as the manufacturing town. Kutaisi is 221km from capital Tbilisi. It was the capital of the Colchis kingdom (6th-2nd B.C.) known as the “Argonauts” story of the ancient Greece mythology. Kutaisit was the Georgian Kingdom’s capital from 975 through 1122. In addition, it was a capital of Imereti kingdom (1260 –1810 age) after the 15th century. It was merged with Russian Empire in 1810.
The present Kutaisi Town
The statue symboliszing the Golden Fleece.
The fountain shows 30 golden statues of the Colchis.
Bagrati Cathedral: The 11th century cathedral is regarded as a masterpiece in the
history of medieval Georgian architecture. In1692, it was devastated in an explosion by the Ottoman troops, who had invaded the Kingdom of Imereti. The incident caused the cupola and ceiling to collapse.
Bagrati Cathedral
Ｔhe Bell Ｔower of Ｔhe Cathedral
The interior of the cathedral
The conservation and restoration in 1952 are finally finished. In 1994, the Bagrati Cathedral, together with the Gelati Monastery, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. In 2001, the cathedral was restored to the Georgian Orthodox Church.
High priest and monks in front of the church
Bagrati Cathedral is now of limited use for worship services, but attracts many pilgrims and tourists.
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