According to the online website Condé Nast Traveler the historical monuments of Mtskheta are among the 20 most beautiful UNESCO world heritage sites.“ The former capital of Georgia referred to as the spiritual heart of the country, has three picturesque, cliff top medieval churches. Sadly, lack of preservation and unaddressed deterioration of the architecture and artwork have landed this site on UNESCO’s “at-risk” list.” said Lianna Trubowitz the contributor to Conde Nast Traveler. According to UNESCO, Georgia has received instructions on what it couldn’t do in specific areas of Mtskheta and if the country does everything as planned, the ancient city will regain its status of World Heritage Site. The historical monuments of the ancient city were listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites until 2009.Mtskheta is one of the world’s oldest cities located in the cultural landscape at the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari Rivers in Central-Eastern Georgia. The site consists of the Jvari Monastery, the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the Samtavro Monastery. Mtskhetastill remains the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic churches as well.

This grand (and for its time, enormous) building dates from the 11th century, early in the golden age of Georgian church architecture. It has an elongated cross plan and is adorned with beautiful stone carving outside and in. Christ’s robe is believed to lie beneath the central nave, under a square pillar decorated with colourful if faded frescoes of the conversion of Kartli.

The story goes that a Mtskheta Jew, Elioz, was in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' Crucifixion and returned with the robe to Mtskheta. His sister Sidonia took it from him and immediately died in a passion of faith. The robe was buried with her and as years passed, people forgot the exact site. When King Mirian built the first church at Mtskheta in the 4th century, the wooden column designed to stand in its centre could not be raised from the ground. But after an all-night prayer vigil by St Nino, the column miraculously moved of its own accord to the robe's burial site. The column subsequently worked many miracles and Svetitskhoveli means ‘Life-Giving Column’.

In the 5th century Vakhtang Gorgasali replaced Mirian’s church with a stone one, and the present building was constructed between 1010 and 1029 under Patriarch Melqisedek. It's still one of the most beautiful churches in the country.

Several Georgian monarchs are buried here. The tomb of Erekle II, king of Kartli and Kakheti from 1762 to 1798, lies before the icon screen (marked with his birth and death dates, 1720 and 1798). Vakhtang Gorgasali’s tomb is behind this, with his sword-holding image carved on a raised flagstone.