Ikalto

What to see in Ikalto

There are 59 churches and monasteries in Ikalto that undeniably highlight the rich history and culture of the village. 

In the 4th century, Ikalto had a city status, and in the 6th century, the Assyrian Father Zenon founded a monastery. In the 12th century, with support of King David Agmashenebeli (the Builder), an academy of the monastery was established by the teacher, philosopher, and cleric Arsen Ikaltoeli. 

Ikalto Academy was the first higher education institution in Georgia. It included various disciplines such as theology, astronomy, philosophy, geography, geometry, viticulture, and pharmacology.

Legend has it that Shota Rustaveli, the author of the Knight in the Panther's Skin, studied here. 

During the Shah Abbas invasions, the monastery burned down, and the academy stopped functioning altogether in 1616.

On the last Sunday of every October, Ikalto people celebrate the annual holiday of "Shotaoba". 

The hotel in Ikalto

Guests can relax at Chateau Ikalto in a beautiful environment, eating delicious Georgian and European foods, and drinking aromatic Kakhetian wine.