Mravaldzali

The legend about the Saint George's Church

Mravaldzali Saint George church was built in the X century. Jalal ad-Din's helmet and Shah Abbas the Great’s sword were stored here. 

According to the legend, the miraculous church of Saint George saved Racha from the Osman invasion. When the army approached the village, all of a sudden, it turned dark and was covered by fog. The army was no longer able to see the surroundings and fell off the Cholevi cliff. 

The scared enemy started to pray but, as the fog disappeared, they could now see the Saint George church. The Ottoman army approached the church, raised their prayers, and requested: “Give us more evidence of your powers, help us, bring us the biggest bull and cow and we promise that we won’t attack the areas the sound of your bell reaches”. 

The miracle happened again and a bull and a cow appeared next to the church. In response to such a miracle, the Ottoman army covered the right horns of the animals in silver. These horns are still kept at the church today.

That’s why this church is called Mravaldzali - which means “allmighty,” and the village was named accordingly. The army also kept its promise and has not invaded the Racha area anymore. 

Love Lake 

You can find another miracle in Mravaldzali, a heart-shaped lake, called the Lake of Love. 

Between the mountains covered with forests, the green color lake is an amazing site to see along with its surrounding views. If you climb the Khikhati mountain, you can enjoy panoramic views of Racha. 

Enjoy picnics and camping around the lake.