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Photo: Ihor Burliai, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Gelati is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi in the Imereti region of western Georgia. One of the first monasteries in Georgia, it was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia as a monastic and educational center.
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An 11th-century monastery richly decorated with frescoes. On a ridge in between an impressive mountainous region. Has far less tourists than Gelati, but often considered the more beautiful one, due to its interesting location. From along the train tracks you might be able to get a better picture with the hills around the monastery than from within the monastery..
Rather small but still nice botanical garden. Some trees has signs in English. There is also interesting chapel built inside the tree.
Ancient church that was built in the 11th century by King Bagrat III, a symbol of a unified Georgia. Foundations of an earlier building have been found. Blown up by marauding Islamic invaders in the 18th century, then carefully restored over the last 100 years; the interior is also almost completed. The difference between original and replacement is clearly obvious. The ongoing reconstruction aimed at returning Bagrati Cathedral back to its original state as a religious space has led ICOMOS to recommend that it should be left as a ruin and added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in danger. The site has since been removed from the World Heritage Sites list. There are headscarves for women available by the entrance.