Gelati Monastery
| Gelati Monastery | |
|---|---|
გელათის მონასტერი | |
The monastic complex of Gelati | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Georgian Orthodox Church |
| Location | |
| Location | Kutaisi, Imereti, Georgia |
| Geographic coordinates | 42°17′41″N 42°46′05″E / 42.29472°N 42.76806°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Monastery |
| Style | Georgian |
| Founder | David IV of Georgia ("David the Builder") |
| Completed | Church of the Virgin, 1106; Churches of St. George and St. Nicholas, 13th century |
| Official name: Gelati Monastery | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iv |
| Designated | 1994 (18th session) |
| Reference no. | 710 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Official name: Gelati Monastery | |
| Designated | November 7, 2006 |
| Reference no. | 875 |
| Item Number in Cultural Heritage Portal | 8550 |
| Date of entry in the registry | October 3, 2007 |
Gelati (Georgian: გელათის მონასტერი [g̊e̞ɫät̪ʰi]) is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia, it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as a monastic and educational center.
The monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was a cultural, educational and scientific center in medieval Georgia. It is an exemplar of the Georgian Golden Age and a gold aesthetic is employed in the paintings and buildings. It was built to celebrate the Orthodox Christian faith in Georgia; some murals found inside the Gelati Monastery church date back to the 12th century.