Sapara Monastery

Sapara Monastery is located 10 km away from Akhaltsikhe town, in Samtskhe-Javakheti region, in a ravine hiding in dense forests. The name of the monastery is translated as “sheltered”. Indeed, Sapara is hidden from the eyes. The amazing road leading to the monastery is surrounded by high mountains, and the monastery itself is considered the main attraction of the region.

Sapara was built by the local ruler Sarkis Jakeli, who then became a monk of the monastery. The construction started in the 10th century, the first church was the Assumption Church, the complex itself was built later. The dome church was built in the XIII century, then a bell tower and farm buildings were built. The largest of the temples in the complex is the church of St. Saba built in the late XIII century. The walls are decorated with beautiful carvings and frescoes. Despite the fact that the temple suffered from raids, the frescoes are well preserved.

Not far from the temple there is a fortification with a stone wall and towers. Below the slope, there are ruins of cells and other structures.

In Soviet times, the life in the monastery stopped, however after the breakdown active reconstruction began and now it is an active monastery with about twenty monks and novices.

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