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Geotour

Shuamta

Kakheti · Religion

Getting there
About 85 km (1.75–2 h) from Tbilisi over the Gombori pass on a paved but winding mountain road
Best time
April–November
Recommended stay
45–60 minutes

About Shuamta

Shuamta is a pair of forest monasteries on the Gombori range, just off the road about 7 km before Telavi in Kakheti. Old Shuamta has three early churches from the 5th–7th centuries among the trees; New Shuamta, about 2 km away, is a working 16th-century convent founded by Queen Tinatin, with frescoes and Chavchavadze family graves. Together they make a quiet 45–60-minute stop on the drive between Tbilisi and Telavi.

Tours Including Shuamta

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Must-See Attractions

  • Old Shuamta domed church

    A 7th-century church in the style of Jvari, standing in the forest clearing.

  • Old Shuamta basilica

    The low 5th-century three-nave basilica beside it.

  • New Shuamta church

    The 16th-century church of the convent, with its original wall paintings and the tombs of the Chavchavadze family.

  • Convent walls and bell tower

    The stone enclosure wall and brick bell tower of New Shuamta, in a quiet forest setting.

Nearby

  • Telavi

    Kakheti's main town with the royal fortress of Erekle II, about 7 km (15 min).

  • Ikalto Monastery

    A 6th-century monastery with the ruins of a medieval academy, about 12 km (20 min).

  • Tsinandali

    The Chavchavadze estate museum and winery, about 20 km (30 min).

Location41.9129° N, 45.3922° EView on map

Good to know

Getting there

About 85 km (1.75–2 h) from Tbilisi over the Gombori pass on a paved but winding mountain road; about 7 km (15 min) from Telavi.

Best time

April–November

Best time

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for the forest setting; in winter the Gombori road can have snow, and you may need to come via Sagarejo instead.

Recommended stay

45–60 minutes

Getting there

Both monasteries are signposted off the Gombori road above Telavi; a paved lane leads to New Shuamta, and a short forest track to Old Shuamta.

Dress code

Shoulders and knees covered; women cover their hair at New Shuamta, where wraps are usually available at the gate.

Fees

Free; a small donation is welcome.

Time needed

About 45–60 minutes for both.

History & culture

Culture

New Shuamta is an active convent of nuns. Services are held in the church, so keep voices low and ask before photographing the nuns.

History

Old Shuamta has a 5th-century three-nave basilica and two domed churches of the 7th century, the larger one close in plan to Jvari at Mtskheta. In the 1540s Queen Tinatin, wife of King Levan of Kakheti, founded New Shuamta, the Monastery of the Virgin, nearby. She is said to have later taken vows and lived there as a nun. The poet Alexander Chavchavadze of Tsinandali and other members of his family are buried in the church.