Shemoqmedi Monastery

The medieval monastery of Shemoqmedi is located in the region of Guria, in the west of the country. The monastery is located on a high mountain and is surrounded by high bushes. The name of the monastery is translated as “a creator”. The exact date of its construction is unknown. According to one of the versions, the very first temple of the monastery was built in the XII century and the bell tower and the church of Zarzma – in the XVI century during the reign of Vakhtang I Gurieli. The Church of Zarzma was built to store icons from the Zarzma monastery. In 1924, the icon was transported to the National Museum of Georgia.

The monastery of Shemoqmedi is known for its rich library. Here were kept rare religious books brought from different parts of the country. The most valuable and famous book that came to us is “Gulani” (Church Code). It weighs about 32 kg, there are thousands of decorated pages with stories and pictures.

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