Shavnabada Monastery

Shavnabada Monastery

Located on Shavnabada Mountain, about 30 km from Tbilisi, the Shavnabada Monastery is a medieval Georgian Orthodox monastic complex. The monastery was named in honor of St. George who, as the legend goes, was wearing a black cloak when he led the army of the King of Georgia in one of the great battles of the period. Shavnabada Monastery is known for a rare type of wine, also known as Shavnabada, which the monks produce there. St. George's Church is the most important building of the monastery and dates back to the 12th century. Another church and a bell tower were added to the complex two centuries later, and the monastery itself was discovered in 1992. Most of the icons in the church were painted by local artists and there is an icon-painting school in the Shavnabada Monastery.