Gelati Monastic Complex is an important historical monument of Georgia. It was built by one of the most powerful kings of Georgia, David IV the Builder. The construction lasted between 1106 to 1125 and it was finally finished in 1130. The main landmark of the complex is the Cathedral of the Virgin. The painting of the dome of the temple dates back to the 12th century. The mosaic composition of the Virgin and the Archangels in the sanctuary, which dates from 1125-1130, is very important. The frescoes on the walls of the monastery were renewed in the 16th and 18th cc, although a 12th-century mosaic is preserved in the apse of the main church. It was not only an important center of religious life, from the very beginning Gelati was also an academy, a cultural and educational center of that time. It was referred to as the new Athene and second Jerusalem. All the eminent Georgian philosophers worked there. The Kutaisi State History Museum holds invaluable manuscript collections of Gelati academy.

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