Gomareti

Gomareti Antipascha Church

The earliest traces of human activity in Gomareti have been traced to the 4th millennium BCE. 

While not quite as old as that, the Gomareti Antipascha Church, built in the 12th and 13th centuries from hewn stone, is nonetheless an impressive monument. 

An ancient graveyard is preserved within the churchyard, with gravestones of immense cultural importance.

Gomareti Saint George Church

In the centre of Gomareti is the even older 9th to 10th-century Saint George Church. Built around the church is a hewn-stone parapet, decorated with Georgian ornamentation. 

Here you’ll find another graveyard, whose gravestones describe the professions of the dead: shepherd, stonemason, weaver, blacksmith, and woodworker, among others.

It’s a fascinating time capsule into a different time in Georgian history.

Gomareti Kukhi Church

A short walk from Saint George Church is Kukhi Church, a monument of national importance. Time and the elements have damaged the building, but the walls that remain are covered in remarkable miniatures, ornamentation, and inscriptions in khutsuri script. These inscriptions have established that the church was built between 1014 and 1022.

Gomareti Saint Mary Church

Sikhuaant Church, also known as Gomareti Saint Mary Church, was built in 1034. The building is made of rough-hewn stone.

Small Gomareti Mother of God Church

Much more well-preserved than some of its neighbours, the Small Gomareti Mother of God Church was built in the 11th century. A few years ago, the architectural monument was renovated, and the southern annex underwent conservation, allowing you to see it as it might have looked in its heyday.

Gomareti Folk Festival

Gomareti Village has its own folk festival called “Gomaretoba”, which is celebrated every year on the Pentecost, one of the biggest church feasts. At the festival there are horse-races, Georgian wrestling, an ethnographic exhibition, and the tasting of local cuisine.

If you’re lucky enough to be in the region during the festival, don’t hesitate to immerse yourself in this fascinating cultural experience.