Shio-Mgvime Monastery

Shio-Mgvime Monastery tickets: which one to buy

Shio-Mgvime Monastery stands in a narrow limestone gorge in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of Georgia, about ten kilometres north-west of Mtskheta and around thirty kilometres from Tbilisi, and entry is free, with donations welcome. Its name means the cave of Shio, after the monk who founded it, and it is one of the oldest and most important monasteries in Georgia. The monastery lies at the end of a winding road from Mtskheta, and it is best reached by car or taxi, as public transport is limited.

Visitors usually combine Shio-Mgvime with Mtskheta, the ancient capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the Jvari Monastery, and sometimes with the wine region of Kakheti on another day. The monastery is active, with monks, and visitors should dress modestly: women cover their heads and wear skirts, which can be borrowed at the entrance, and men wear long trousers. The gorge is quiet and rocky, with caves in the cliffs above the monastery, and a spring provides water that pilgrims believe is blessed. Photography inside the churches may be restricted.

Visiting Shio-Mgvime Monastery: what to see

The monastery was founded in the sixth century by Saint Shio, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers, monks who came to Georgia from Mesopotamia and helped to spread monasticism in the country. Shio lived as a hermit in a cave in the gorge, and disciples gathered around him, forming a community. According to tradition, he spent his last years in a deep well-like cave, and his grave is in the monastery. The oldest church, the Church of Saint John the Baptist, was built in the sixth century in a simple cross-shaped plan of stone, and it is one of the earliest examples of Georgian church architecture.

The larger Church of the Virgin was built in the twelfth century and later rebuilt. King David IV the Builder supported the monastery in the twelfth century, and it became a major centre of learning, with a school and a library. The monastery was attacked by Persian invaders in the seventeenth century, and monks were killed, but it was restored. Caves cut into the cliffs above the monastery were used by hermits, and some can be seen from the paths. A bell tower stands beside the churches, and a refectory, from the sixteenth century, completes the complex. The cave of Saint Shio is venerated by pilgrims.

Shio-Mgvime Monastery opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery is open daily from morning to evening. Spring, when the gorge is green, and autumn are the most pleasant seasons, and summer is hot but bearable in the shaded gorge. Winters are mild but the road can be muddy. The feast of Saint Shio in May, according to the Georgian Orthodox calendar, brings pilgrims. Sunday mornings are busy with liturgy, and weekdays are quieter. Allow about an hour for the monastery, and combine it with Mtskheta in a half-day trip from Tbilisi.