Ikalto Monastery

Ikalto (Georgian: _WBR_ყალთო) is a small village located about 10 km west of the city of Telavi in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia. It is famous for its ancient monastery complex and the renowned Ikalto Academy. The Ikalto Monastery was founded by Saint Zenon, one of the 13 Assyrian fathers, at the end of the 6th century. This monastery was considered one of the most important cultural and educational centers of Georgia. Within the monastery complex, there are three ancient churches – Khvtaeba, Kvelatsminda, and Sameba. The main church, Khvtaeba (Holy Spirit), was built in the 8th-9th centuries on the site of an older church where Saint Zenon was buried. In 1616, the Ikalto Academy was set on fire by Persian invaders under the command of Shah Abbas I, and it ceased to exist.