Khintsvisi Cathedral (12th – 13th century) beautifully located on a picturesque wooden mountain slope of Kartli region. The domed cross-planed church of St. Nicolas is adorned with remarkable mural paintings portraying King Giorgi III, Queen Tamar and her son Lasha-Giorgi. Among these murals especially impressive is ‘The Archangel of Khintsvisi’. As you see the blue ‘Virgin and Child’ of the ruined church merging with the blue sky which serves as a roof to the temple, you truly feel that you have entered the house of God.
Nearby the main church, on the bank of the River Khintsvura stands the only surviving part of the single-nave basilica dedicated to the Virgin. This small church has suffered greatly from frequent floods. The artistic technique and style of the murals in the remaining part of the main apse resemble those of the main church of St. Nicolas.
