The Shio Mgvime monastery is located in a beautiful forest place on the left bank of the river Kura in Georgia. The road follows a narrow limestone canyon from the main square in the town Mtskheta. The medieval monastery consists by several buildings from different periods: The oldest one is the Monastery of St. John the Baptist (dated 560-580) – the simple cruciform building with octagonal dome; The Upper Church Theotokos (12th c) was a domed church destroyed by invasion and in 1678 was restored as Basilica; Refectory (12th -17th cc); the Cave of St. Shio (6th c ) and a small chapel (12th c) adorned with medieval murals stands separately on a nearby hill.

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