Shio-Mgvime Monastery, Mtskheta

Is Shio-Mgvime worth visiting?

Yes, if you have already seen Svetitskhoveli and Jvari and want somewhere quieter. Shio-Mgvime is a monastery that grew out of a hermit’s cave: churches pressed against a sheer cliff, monks’ cells cut into the gorge walls and forest all around. Crowds are small, and the 6th-century cave is something Mtskheta itself doesn’t have.

Skip it if you only have half a day for Mtskheta. With the drive and the wait it takes around two hours, and the reward is atmosphere rather than one big view. And don’t go blind: until you know access is open, you risk a wasted trip to a closed road.

Entrance fee and opening hours

There is no entrance fee — this is a working monastery, not a museum. Candles and donations are up to you; bring Georgian lari in cash, because small purchases at churches in Georgia are usually cash only.

No official opening hours are published. Visitors are generally let in during daylight, and unofficial sources say until 19:00. Services take priority, so a church may be closed or full for a while — be patient and keep quiet.

What to see at Shio-Mgvime

• Church of St John the Baptist (560–580) — the oldest building: cross-shaped, with an octagonal drum, its lower part built on carved bedrock.
• St Shio’s cave — 11–12 m deep, entered from an 11th-century chapel built over it; Shio’s grave lies at its centre.
• Dormition (Upper) Church — founded by David the Builder, rebuilt as a three-aisled basilica after the 1614–1616 sack.
• The 1733 bell tower — you walk through its ground floor, the only entrance to the complex.
• The refectory — its oldest part is 12th-century, with an 11th-century relief cross on the south façade.
• Church of the Ascension of the Cross on the hill outside the walls — a small 12th-century brick church with 13th-century frescoes.
• Cave cells — dozens of caves in the gorge walls where monks lived and hid from raids.
• By the gate, a spring known in Georgia as the “Spring of Tears”.

A short history

In the 6th century the monk Shio came to Georgia with the other Assyrian Fathers, spent several years on the mountain at Zedazeni, then withdrew into this remote gorge. He lived his last years alone in a deep cave, which gave the monastery its name; disciples gathered around him and built the church of St John the Baptist while he was still alive.

In the 12th century David the Builder made Shio-Mgvime a royal domain and added a large domed church. It was sacked by Shah Abbas, then by Ottoman and Lezgian raiders, and each time the Amilakhvari princes rebuilt it. The Soviets closed it; today monks live here again.

Shio-Mgvime vs Jvari vs Svetitskhoveli

On a first visit, start with Svetitskhoveli and Jvari. Shio-Mgvime works as the third stop of the day, or for anyone after silence.

Mtskheta’s churches and monasteries compared

Every church and monastery in Mtskheta rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Go in the afternoon after the cathedral and Samtavro: central Mtskheta is busiest then, while the gorge stays quiet.
• Don’t trust your map app blindly near the gorge — follow the road signs for the last stretch.
• Walk up to the Church of the Ascension of the Cross on the hill for a view of the whole monastery against the cliff.
• Agree the waiting time and the fare with the driver before you leave Mtskheta.
• Curious where Shio came from? Add Zedazeni, where he lived before the cave.

Questions