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Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba), Tbilisi

Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba) with its golden dome on Elia Hill above the Avlabari district of Tbilisi under a cloudy sky
Photo: Alexxx1979, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free — no tickets or booking
Hours
Daily; about 8am–8pm, sources differ
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
40 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Dress code
Women: headscarf and skirt (wraps lent at the door); men: long trousers, no hat
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Where
Elia Hill, Avlabari, on the left bank of the Mtkvari; listed as Samreklo Street
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Nearest metro
Avlabari, then a 10–15 min walk uphill
Time needed
About 40 minutes, longer during a service
Coordinates
41.69750, 44.81667YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

Third-tallestEastern Orthodox church in the world
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaEurasia.travel
23 Nov 2004consecrated on St George's Day, nine years to the day after the foundation was laid
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaTonkosti
≈ 84–86 mto the top of the cross — sources measure it differently
2 sourcesEnglish Wikipedia: 86.1 mRussian Wikipedia: 77 m to the foot of the 7.5 m cross
Archil Mindiashvilithe architect whose design won an open contest
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
100 m+total height including the underground levels
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaTonkosti
23 Nov 1995foundation laid
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaTonkosti
Nine chapelsfive of them underground, in the lower level
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaTonkosti
5,000 m²+total floor area of the cathedral
3 sourcesEnglish WikipediaTonkostiEurasia.travel
Up to 15,000people the complex can hold
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaTonkosti
Donationspaid for mostly by private donors, businesspeople and ordinary Georgians
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia

Is Sameba Cathedral worth visiting?

Yes, if you want to feel how Georgians worship today. Sameba is huge, bright and busy with real services, and its golden dome is the landmark you'll keep spotting from the Old Town, Narikala Fortress and the riverside. Inside, the scale is the point: stand under the dome and the hall seems to keep going up.

Be clear about what it isn't: there are no medieval frescoes here. The cathedral was finished in 2004. If ancient churches are your thing, Metekhi and Sioni nearby are older and more intimate. Come to Sameba for the size, the light, a Sunday choir and the view from its garden — and pair it with the Old Town on the same day.

Sameba Cathedral opening hours and entry

The cathedral is open every day from morning until evening, and entry is free. There is no official visitor timetable: travel references give 8am–8pm most often, others 9am–7pm or 9am–6pm, so plan your visit for daylight and you'll be fine.

Weekend mornings bring the liturgy with a choir, unofficially from around 9am — the most memorable time to be inside, as long as you stand quietly at the back. Bring a little cash in lari if you want to light a candle. Photos without flash are usually fine, but not of people praying.

What to see inside and around the cathedral

  • The main hall. Stand in the centre under the dome and look up — light pours in from the drum high above.
  • The Mtskheta cross. The cross that once stood above Mtskheta, on the site of Jvari Monastery, is kept in a gilded reliquary.
  • The Hope of Georgia icon. A large enamel icon showing 432 Georgian saints.
  • Icons by the entrance. Among them is an image of the Virgin painted by Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, who consecrated the cathedral.
  • The lower church. Beneath the main hall is an underground level with chapels, reached from inside and by a separate street door. It's cooler, quieter and often empty.
  • The garden and terrace. Paths and lawns around the cathedral, with views over Old Tbilisi, Narikala and Mount Mtatsminda — best on a clear morning.

How to get to Sameba Cathedral

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On foot

More tips

  1. From Meidan (Gorgasali) Square, cross the Metekhi Bridge, climb past Metekhi Church and along Rike Park, then continue up Meskhishvili Street — 20–25 minutes on foot, uphill all the way.
  2. By metro: take the red line to Avlabari. Leave the station and head north along Lado Meskhishvili Street to the cathedral gates — a 10–15 minute climb.
  3. From Rike Park: stairs and lanes lead up through Avlabari — 15–20 minutes.
  4. Metro and buses take contactless bank cards or a Metromoney card — no cash on board. From the airport, bus 337 runs to Liberty Square (Tavisuplebis Moedani); Avlabari is the next metro stop.
  5. Skip the hill with Bolt, the ride-hailing app, straight to the main gate. Buses do stop near the cathedral, but route numbers have changed — check the current one in your map app.

A short history of Sameba

The idea for a new cathedral came in 1989, timed to 1,500 years of the Georgian Church's independence and 2,000 years of Christianity. Archil Mindiashvili won the design contest with a building that follows the shapes of old Georgian churches, only scaled up enormously.

The foundation stone was laid on 23 November 1995 and Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II consecrated the cathedral on 23 November 2004, St George's Day. When Ilia II died on 17 March 2026, Sameba stayed open around the clock for days of farewell as crowds queued in the rain; at his own wish he was buried at the old Sioni Cathedral.

The site has a difficult side too. Part of the hill was the Armenian cemetery of Khojivank, already ravaged in Soviet times, and encyclopaedias record that graves were disturbed during construction. Worth knowing as you walk up through Avlabari, once Tbilisi's Armenian quarter.

Before you go: checklist

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Sameba vs Narikala vs Chronicle of Georgia

Sameba Cathedralyou are hereGeorgia's main working cathedralFreeStrict: scarf, skirt, trousersAbout 40 minAvlabari metro and a climb
Narikala FortressAncient fortress above the Old TownFree; cable car extraNone1–1.5 hUphill walk or cable car from Rike Park
Chronicle of GeorgiaGiant pillars carved with biblical and historical scenesFreeNoneAbout 40 min plus travelTaxi to the city's edge

Sameba and Narikala sit on opposite banks of the same central walk. Save the Chronicle of Georgia for a separate half-day.

A day in Old Tbilisi and Avlabari

Sulphur baths, the fortress above the city, the cable car down to the riverside park and the climb to the main cathedral. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Abanotubani Sulphur Baths1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour
  2. 4 min walk from the previous stopNarikala Fortress1 h · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL
  3. 10 min walk from the previous stopRike Park45 min · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL
  4. 13 min walk from the previous stopHoly Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)you are here40 min · Free

4 places · about 4 h 22 min with walks · 27 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Rike Park

Tbilisi, Georgia

45 min · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL · 13 min walk

Bridge of Peace

Tbilisi, Georgia

20 min · Free · 14 min walk

Abanotubani Sulphur Baths

Tbilisi, Georgia

1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour · 20 min walk

Dry Bridge Market

Tbilisi, Georgia

1 h · Free to browse · 21 min walk

How to do it right

  • Pair it with Narikala: from the fortress walls you see the whole cathedral, then ride the cable car down to Rike Park and walk up.
  • The dome is floodlit after dark — the best view of it is from the Bridge of Peace and the riverside.
  • Don't skip the lower church — most visitors walk past, and it's peaceful down there.
  • Easy with kids: the garden around the cathedral is a good place to rest after the climb.
  • Short on time and prefer old stones to sheer size? Choose Metekhi by the river and admire Sameba from a distance.

Questions

Is Sameba Cathedral free to enter?

Yes. The cathedral, the lower church and the garden are free, with no tickets. At most you might want a little cash in lari for candles.

What are the Sameba Cathedral opening hours?

It's open every day from morning to evening. There is no official visitor timetable; unofficially it's about 8am–8pm, though some references give 9am–6pm or 9am–7pm.

What should I wear to Sameba Cathedral?

Women: a headscarf and a skirt below the knee. Men: long trousers and no hat. Everyone covers their shoulders. Scarves and wraps are usually lent at the entrance.

How do I get to Sameba Cathedral?

Take the metro to Avlabari and walk 10–15 minutes uphill along Meskhishvili Street. From Meidan Square it's a 20–25 minute walk over the Metekhi Bridge, or a short Bolt ride to the gate.

How tall is Sameba Cathedral?

About 84–86 metres to the top of the cross, depending on the source; the cross alone is 7.5 metres. Including the underground levels it's over 100 metres, making it the third-tallest Orthodox church in the world.

When was Sameba Cathedral built?

The foundation was laid on 23 November 1995 and the cathedral was consecrated on 23 November 2004, St George's Day. The architect was Archil Mindiashvili.

Can you take photos inside Sameba Cathedral?

Usually yes, without flash and not during services. Avoid close-ups of people praying or of the clergy.

How long do you need at Sameba Cathedral?

About 40 minutes for the main church, the lower chapels and the garden. Allow an hour or more if you stay for a liturgy.

Is Sameba the same as Gergeti Trinity Church?

No. Gergeti is a 14th-century church on a mountain near Stepantsminda, three hours from Tbilisi. Sameba is the modern cathedral in the city.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English Wikipedia: Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi
  • Russian Wikipedia: Tsminda-Sameba
  • Wikidata Q36996
  • Tonkosti: Tsminda Sameba Cathedral — dimensions, dates, lower level
  • Eurasia.travel: Tsminda Sameba Cathedral — access, icons, best time
  • Georgia in Trend: Sameba Cathedral — dress code, services, hours
  • Advantour: Sameba Cathedral, Tbilisi — address
  • JAMnews: farewell to Patriarch Ilia II, March 2026
  • Tbilisi International Airport: bus 337
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedThe cathedral publishes no visitor timetable, so the hours are unofficial: references give 8am–8pm, 9am–7pm and 9am–6pm; we show the most common and mark it as checking. Free entry and the dress code are consistent across all sources. Height is measured differently: English Wikipedia gives 86.1 m to the top of the cross, Russian Wikipedia 77 m to the foot of the 7.5 m cross, so we show a range. Length and width also differ between sources (70×65 m and 77×65 m), so we leave them out, as we do the date of the first service (2000 or 2002). The Samreklo Street address comes from a single reference and is marked as checking. Bus numbers to the cathedral conflict and look outdated, so we don't quote them. Walking times are measured on the map.

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