Things to Do at Anchiskhati Basilica
Complete Guide to Anchiskhati Basilica in Tbilisi
About Anchiskhati Basilica
Anchiskhati Basilica stands on Shavteli Street in Tbilisi's old quarter. This rough-hewn stone church has quietly outlasted nearly fifteen centuries of conquest, renovation, and neglect. Built in the 6th century under King Dachi of Iberia and originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it carries its age in every uneven tuff-stone block along its facade.
Step through the western door. The temperature drops immediately. The thick walls hold a coolness that feels almost subterranean even on a scorching Tbilisi afternoon. Incense hangs in the dim nave, curling past the heavy brick columns that replaced the original stone supports during 17th-century restorations after wars with Persians and Turks had left the building battered.
The church owes its current name to a celebrated icon of the Saviour, originally kept at the remote Ancha Monastery in Klarjeti. After the Ottoman conquest pushed Christianity out of that region, the merchant Amirjan Ievangulishvili brought the icon to Tbilisi in 1664, where Catholicos Domenti III acquired it for this church.
The original icon, with its precious metal frame added between 1284 and 1307 by order of Queen Tamar, was moved to the National Art Museum of Georgia in the 1920s during the Soviet period. A faithful copy now occupies the church. Locals still light thin beeswax candles before it. The flames flicker against gold paint in a way that makes the face seem to shift expression.
Anchiskhati resumed religious services in 1989 after decades as a secular space. That return to active worship gives it a lived-in warmth that some of Tbilisi's more polished churches lack. On weekend mornings, polyphonic chanting fills the nave with layered harmonics that seem too large for the modest interior. The sound reverberates off stone and brick in a way that roots you to the floor.
What to See & Do
The three-aisled nave and brick columns
The interior is a study in layers of Tbilisi's history. The lower courses of the walls are the original 6th-century hewn stone, rough and unadorned. The upper walls and all the inner columns are 17th-century brick, a warmer red-brown tone that catches candlelight. The horseshoe-shaped conches flanking the altar are characteristic of early Georgian Christian architecture. Run your hand along the transition from stone to brick. It is like touching a geological cross-section of the city's survival.
The Anchiskhati icon copy
A reproduction of the Ancha icon of the Saviour occupies a place of reverence near the altar. The original, an encaustic painting traditionally dated to the 6th or 7th century with a gilded frame commissioned under Queen Tamar, now lives in the National Art Museum. Even the copy draws a steady trickle of worshippers who press their foreheads to the glass and murmur prayers. The smell of warm beeswax mingles with old wood.
19th-century frescoes
The wall paintings date mostly from the 19th century. Their colours are muted by soot and age into a palette of dusty ochre, faded blue, and smoke-darkened gold. They lack the drama of Gelati or Vardzia's medieval cycles. They have a domestic tenderness. The saints' faces are painted with a gentleness that feels almost conversational.
The 1675 brick bell tower
The bell tower was added during the same wave of reconstruction that replaced the interior columns. It rises above Shavteli Street and is one of the first things you notice approaching from the river side. Its proportions are squat and solid rather than soaring. It is more watchtower than campanile. The brickwork has weathered to a dusty salmon that glows in late-afternoon light.
The altarpiece
Painted in 1683 by order of Catholicos Nikoloz Amilakhvari, the altarpiece sits behind the main altar screen. Its colours are richer than the wall frescoes, likely because the screen offers some protection from candle smoke. It rewards close attention. Try to get near enough during a quiet weekday.
Practical Information
Opening Hours
The church is open daily. Reported hours vary by source, with some listing morning to late afternoon and others giving a wider window into the evening. Weekend mornings tend to have services starting around 9am. The space may be partially occupied by worshippers. Arriving on a weekday mid-morning gives you the best chance of a quiet visit.
Tickets & Pricing
Entry is free, as it is at most active Georgian Orthodox churches. There is no ticketing system or queue to manage. You simply walk in through the western door. It is the only entrance currently in use.
Best Time to Visit
Weekday mornings between roughly 10am and noon offer the quietest atmosphere and the best light through the western-facing door. If you specifically want to hear the polyphonic choir, come on a weekend morning around 9am. Expect the nave to be full of worshippers rather than tourists. Late afternoon brings warm amber light onto the bell tower's brickwork. Time your visit for this. It is worth it for photographs from outside.
Suggested Duration
The interior is compact. Twenty to thirty minutes covers the nave, frescoes, and icon copy comfortably. Add another ten minutes if you want to study the exterior stonework and bell tower. Pair it with the surrounding Shavteli Street area. You could easily spend an hour in the immediate vicinity.
Getting There
Anchiskhati sits on Shavteli Street on the right bank of the Mtkvari River, squarely within Tbilisi's walkable old town. From the Avlabari metro station, it is roughly a fifteen-minute walk across the Metekhi Bridge and along the river. From Freedom Square, head downhill through the old town lanes toward the river. You will reach the basilica in about ten minutes on foot.
The area around Shavteli Street is largely pedestrianised. Walking is the most pleasant approach. Try the cooler morning hours when the plane trees along the riverbank throw dappled shade on the pavement. A taxi from anywhere in central Tbilisi is inexpensive by most standards. The ride rarely takes more than ten minutes. Watch out for afternoon gridlock that clogs Baratashvili Bridge.
Things to Do Nearby
Sioni sits a few minutes south through the old town lanes. It is Tbilisi's historical main cathedral. Pair it with Anchiskhati when tracing the city's ecclesiastical roots. The interior runs darker. The ornamentation runs heavier. That contrast matters.
Rezo Gabriadze's clock tower stands on Shavteli Street itself. It chimes each hour. A small mechanical angel appears. The cafe terrace nearby smells of Turkish coffee. Sit there after the basilica.
The glass-and-steel pedestrian bridge spans the Mtkvari. Reach it with a short walk from the basilica. Cross at dusk. The LED lighting shifts through blues and whites. This counters the ancient stone you just left.
This narrow lane sits in the Upper Kala district. Wine bars line it. Galleries line it. Restaurant tables spill onto the cobblestones. Crowds arrive after dark. Pass through by day. Do this en route to or from Anchiskhati.
Narikala rises as a crenellated silhouette above the old town ridge. You saw it from the basilica doorstep. Take the cable car from Rike Park. Or climb the steep switchback trail. The panorama rewards you. Terracotta roofs spread below. The Mtkvari winds through them.
Tips & Advice
Tours & Activities at Anchiskhati Basilica
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