Agara Monastery

The Location of Agara Monastery 

Situated atop a mountain in the Uraveli River Valley in Samtskhe-Javakheti Region, Agara Monastery is surrounded on three sides by deciduous forest, with the fourth side guarded by a steep cliff overlooking the river.

The monastery was founded in the 10th century, springing up around a church from the 6th-7th centuries.

The Frescoes of Agara Monastery

The main church of Agara Monastery is one of the largest and best-preserved single-naved churches in Georgia, dating back to the 10th-11th century.

Ancient paintings can still be seen in places on the walls, and a beautifully ornamented window remains over the main entrance door.

In addition, there are four churches from the 5th-14th centuries preserved in the monastery complex, with a bell-tower, a refectory, a cellar, and outbuildings.

Agara Monastery Today

The main church of the monastery was built in the 10th-11th centuries, and is one of the largest basilica churches in the country. Today, the complex is in ruins, but the dining area from the 11th-12th centuries is still preserved, as well as a bell tower from the 13th-14th centuries.