Bolnisi Sioni

Bolnisi Sioni is one of the oldest surviving churches in Georgia, a large stone basilica built between 478 and 493 in the village of Kvemo Bolnisi, about 6 km south of the town of Bolnisi. Its inscriptions, written in Asomtavruli, the earliest form of the Georgian script, are among the oldest known documents of the Georgian alphabet, and it is the first Georgian building with its completion date on the exterior. Inside, the church is long and dim, with heavy piers dividing the nave from the aisles and carved capitals decorated with animals and plants.

Look for the equal-armed cross carved in the stonework: this Bolnisi cross became a national symbol, and its form is echoed in the four small crosses of Georgia's flag. A bell tower stands in the churchyard, and the setting among village houses and gardens is peaceful. Bolnisi Sioni is an active church, so dress modestly. It is easy to combine with Tsughrughasheni, about 2 km away, and with Dmanisi on a full day from Tbilisi.

Bolnisi Sioni was built in 478–493, in the time of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, and its inscriptions record when the work was begun and completed. It is one of the earliest large basilicas in Georgia, and its inscriptions are key evidence for the early history of the Georgian alphabet. The church was altered and repaired over the following centuries, but its 5th-century structure survives.