$370,000 ALLOCATED TO RESTORE GEORGIAN KATSKHI MONASTERY

Pravoslavie.ru – 2/2/17

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development of Georgia has recently decided to allocate 1 million lari ($370,000) to a comprehensive restoration project at the Nativity of the Savior Monastery in the village of Katskhi, 125 miles northwest of Tbilisi.

The project includes the construction of an outdoor terrace, the restoration and veneering of the fountain, the rehabilitation of the access road to the Church, the installation of an external water supply system and sewage, the construction of a viewing deck on the mountain slope and an open balcony for tourists, and the allocation of space for a parking lot, reports Blagovest.

According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the projected is supported by the World Bank. Completion is scheduled for April 2017. A tourist center is also to be built across from the monastic complex. It is hoped that the improved infrastructure will attract more tourists and help improve the local socio-economic situation.

The Katskhi Monastery was built between 988 and 1014. The church is known for its hexagonal design and ornate decoration. It was closed by the Soviet government in 1924 and reopened in 1990. Medieval icons and manuscripts surviving from the monastic center of Christian are preserved in Tbilisi museums.

Katskhi is also known for its unique pillar monastic complex.

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