Tbilisi

The Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)

The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi commonly known as Sameba is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church, located in the old district of Tbilisi - Avlabari, on the Elia Hill. The Cathedral is the largest church in the whole of Georgia and the largest religious building in the area of the South Caucasus.

The Sameba complex, the construction of which is already completed, consists of the main cathedral church, a free-standing bell-tower, the residence of the Patriarch, a monastery, a clerical seminary and theological academy, several workshops, places for rest, etc. On the territory of the cathedral offers excellent views of Mount Saint David (Mtatsminda) and the city center. Temple is perfectly visible from anywhere in the city. The Sameba complex is striking beauty and majesty of its grand architecture, magnificent style and exterior decoration.

Construction of the cathedral was planned in 1989 on the occasion of the 1500th anniversary of the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church and to celebrate the 2000th anniversary of Christianity. In May 1989, the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate and the authorities of Tbilisi announced an international contest for the "Holy Trinity Cathedral" project. No winner was chosen at the first round of the contest when more than a hundred projects were submitted. Finally the design by architect Archil Mindiashvili won.

The temple was founded November 23, 1995. Construction was carried out on the donations of ordinary citizens and business leaders. The first service in a newly built cathedral was committed December 25, 2002. On November 23, 2004, on St. George's Day, the cathedral was consecrated by Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II and high-ranking representatives of fellow Orthodox Churches of the world, as well as representatives of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Cyprus, the Greek, Polish, Albanian Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church in America.