Davit-Gareji

According to the literary sources that have reached us, the monastery was founded in the first half of the 6th century by David, one of the 13 Assyrian fathers.Davit settled in the natural cave of Gareji Mountain and created the first monastery here, which today is called Davit's Lavra. In the same century, David's disciples and co-religionists founded two more monastic branches in Dodom - Horn of Dodo, and Lucian founded the Baptist. The flourishing and development of Davit Gareji monasteries is connected with the name of Hilarion Georgian, a prominent figure of the 9th century. He expanded and remodeled the church carved by David, and later Demetrius, the son of Davit Agmashenebeli, author of the genius Anthem "You are VenaKhi," which is still a masterpiece of art. The architectural form of this Church of the Transfiguration became canonical for the construction of Gareji in the following period. In the 11th century, Gareji Monastery was attacked by the Seljuks, which hindered its development, although life here did not slow down. Gareji monastic complex reached special prosperity in XI-XIII centuries. New monasteries of Udabno Berthubani and Chichkhituri were founded.

At the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, Temurleng raided Georgia with fire and sword, the fall of the country naturally affected the Gareji monastery as well. After that, the monastery is weakened and economically oppressed. It was at this time that it had to be stopped: the existence of the Gareji art school was also ended in 1615 when the hordes of Shah Abbas cut off the monks and looted the monastery. At the end of the 17th century, King Teimuraz and then King Archil tried to restore the monastic life in Davitgarej. This was done after Onofre Machutadze was appointed as the leader of Gareji in 1690. As a result of his forty years of work in Gareji. Old rights were restored, lost lands were returned to the monastery.