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Geotour

Photos: Diaoha (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Bolnisi Sioni

Kartli · Religion

Getting there
About 70 km (1–1.25 h) south-west of Tbilisi via Marneuli and Bolnisi town on paved roads
Best time
April–November
Recommended stay
1 hour

About Bolnisi Sioni

Bolnisi Sioni is a stone basilica built in 478–493 in the village of Bolnisi in Kvemo Kartli, about 70 km (1–1.25 h) south-west of Tbilisi, and the oldest surviving church building in Georgia. Its Georgian building inscriptions are among the oldest dated texts in the Georgian script, and its capitals carry vine scrolls and animals in a style influenced by Sasanian Persia. A visit takes about an hour and pairs well with the Dmanisi hominin site and the old German-settler wine town of Bolnisi.

Tours Including Bolnisi Sioni

See all 2 tours

Must-See Attractions

  • Basilica interior

    A long, three-aisled hall with massive horseshoe-shaped arches, little changed since the 5th century and still used for services.

  • Building inscriptions

    The 5th-century Georgian inscriptions above the entrance, among the oldest dated texts in the Georgian script.

  • Carved capitals

    Stone capitals and reliefs with vine scrolls, animals and Bolnisi crosses, showing Sasanian Persian influence.

  • Bell tower

    The free-standing bell tower in the garden beside the church.

Nearby

  • Dmanisi

    The hominin site where 1.8-million-year-old human fossils were found, and a ruined medieval town, about 45 minutes south-west.

  • Bolnisi town

    Founded in 1818 by Swabian German settlers as Katharinenfeld, with German houses and a Lutheran church, about 10 minutes north.

  • Tbilisi

    About 70 km (1–1.25 h) north-east.

Location41.3889° N, 44.5125° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 70 km (1–1.25 h) south-west of Tbilisi via Marneuli and Bolnisi town on paved roads; the church is in Bolnisi village, south of the town.

Best time

April–November

Best time

Spring and autumn are mild for combining Bolnisi with the open-air Dmanisi site, while summer is hot on the Kvemo Kartli plateau and winter visits are possible but short on daylight.

Recommended stay

1 hour

What to wear

An active church: shoulders and knees covered, women cover their hair.

Fees

Entry is free.

Time needed

About 1 hour.

Combine

Dmanisi (museum opening hours vary; we plan around them) and a winery tasting in Bolnisi make a full day from Tbilisi.

History & culture

Culture

The equal-armed cross carved at Bolnisi Sioni, known as the Bolnisi cross, became one of the best-known symbols of Georgian Christianity and appears today on the badges of the Georgian army and on many modern designs. The church is still used for services.

History

The basilica was built between 478 and 493, in the time of King Vakhtang Gorgasali. It was the first building in Georgia to record its completion date in an inscription on its walls. The Bolnisi inscriptions, carved in the old asomtavruli script, are among the earliest dated documents of the Georgian alphabet. The church has been repaired over the centuries, and a separate bell tower stands in the churchyard.

Local Cuisine

Kvemo Kartli is one of the places where the earliest evidence of winemaking in the world was found: residue from about 6000 BC at Gadachrili Gora and Shulaveris Gora, near Marneuli. Today Bolnisi has small wineries in old German-settler cellars that offer tastings by arrangement.