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52-533: Jvari Monastery stands on the rocky mountaintop at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, overlooking the town of Mtskheta, which was formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Iberia . According to traditional accounts, on this location in the early 4th century Saint Nino , a female evangelist credited with converting King Mirian III of Iberia to Christianity , erected a large wooden (or vine) cross on

104-841: A Zoroastrian source written in Book Pahlavi , refers to the river as Tord in Persian. The river should not be confused with the Kura river in Russia , a westward flowing tributary of the Malka in Stavropol Krai ; the Kur near Kursk , Russia; Kur near Khabarovsk , also in Russia and Kor River , which is located in Fars Province , Iran . It rises in northeastern Turkey in

156-509: A cliff on the bank of the Kura covering an area of 8 hectares (20 acres), contains underground living quarters, communal chambers, places of worship, storerooms, connected by a network of passageways. It reached its peak about 1,100 years ago as the political, religious and cultural center of the region, but in the 13th century, it fell to Mongolian invaders. Even though irrigation agriculture had been well established for thousands of years, until

208-506: A dam near its namesake town at the southeastern end. The rivers Iori (also known as Qabirri ) and Alazani formerly joined the Kura, but their mouths are now submerged under the lake. After leaving the dam, the river meanders southeast where it meets its biggest tributary Tartarchay in Barda Rayon and continues across a broad irrigated plain for several hundred kilometers, turning east near Lake Sarysu , and shortly after, receives

260-509: A decorative knob. Each of the three facets of the eastern apsis has a bas-relief , depicting rulers and noblemen. The left shows Demetre , the brother of Stepanoz I . The central depicts Stepanoz I in front of the Christ , which is also explained on the writing. The right bas-relief has Adrnerse the Hypatos with his son and archangels Gabriel and Michael flying above, but the identity

312-418: A sacristy is near a side altar , or more usually behind or on a side of the main altar . In newer churches the sacristy is often in another location, such as near the entrances to the church. Some churches have more than one sacristy, each of which will have a specific function. Often additional sacristies are used for maintaining the church and its items, such as candles and other materials. The sacristy

364-605: A short canyon and along the west side of T'bilisi , the largest city in the region. The river flows steeply southeast past Rustavi and turns eastward at its confluence with the Khrami , crossing the Georgia- Azerbaijan border and flowing across grasslands into Shemkir reservoir and then Yenikend reservoir . The Kura then empties into Mingachevir reservoir , the largest body of water in Azerbaijan, formed by

416-599: A small valley in the Kars Upland of the Lesser Caucasus . It flows west, then north and east past Ardahan , and crosses into Georgia . It arcs to the northwest, then into a canyon near Akhaltsikhe where it starts to run northeast in a gorge for about 75 kilometres (47 mi), spilling out of the mountains near Khashuri . It then arcs east before flowing east-southeast for about 120 kilometres (75 mi), past Gori , then near Mtskheta , flows south through

468-496: A special wash basin, called a piscina , the drain of which is properly called a "sacrarium" in which the drain flows directly into the ground to prevent sacred items such as used baptismal water from being washed into the sewers or septic tanks. The piscina is used to wash linens used during the celebration of the Mass and purificators used during Holy Communion . The cruets , chalice , ciborium , paten , altar linens and sometimes

520-400: Is also where the priest and attendants vest and prepare before the service . They will return there at the end of the service to remove their vestments and put away any of the vessels used during the service. The hangings and altar linens are stored there as well. The parish registers may be kept in the sacristy and are administered by the parish clerk . Sacristies usually contain

572-662: Is an east-flowing river south of the Greater Caucasus Mountains which drains the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus east into the Caspian Sea . It also drains the north side of the Lesser Caucasus , while its main tributary, the Aras , drains the south side of those mountains. Starting in northeastern Turkey , the Kura flows through Turkey to Georgia , then to Azerbaijan , where it receives

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624-892: Is believed to be the result of a rise in the level of the Caspian Sea coupled with a major flood of the Kura. About 174 kilometres (108 mi) of the river is in Turkey, 435 kilometres (270 mi) in Georgia, and 906 kilometres (563 mi) in Azerbaijan. About 5,500 square kilometres (2,100 sq mi) of the catchment is in Turkey, 29,743 square kilometres (11,484 sq mi) in Armenia, 46,237 square kilometres (17,852 sq mi) in Georgia, 56,290 square kilometres (21,730 sq mi) in Azerbaijan, and about 63,500 square kilometres (24,500 sq mi) are in Iran. At

676-479: Is limited and decreases every year. Irrigation agriculture has been one of the primary economic mainstays of the lower Kura valley since ancient times. Because of water taken out for irrigation use, up to 20% of the water that formerly flowed in the river no longer reaches the Caspian Sea. Over 70% of the water in the Iori (Gabirry) River, a major tributary of the Kura, is expended before it reaches Lake Mingachevir. Of

728-407: Is made of four larger squinches, the two upper of smaller squinches, and finally the row of 32 facets, holding the dome. Thus, the dome rests on the walls, not on pillars, like in later churches, creating a single, entire space, and illusion of large size, although the church is less than 25 m high. Presence of high transitionary niches between the main space and the four small rooms is another trick of

780-512: Is regarded as one of the most stressed river basins in Asia. Most of the water comes from snowmelt and infrequent precipitation in the mountains, which leads to severe floods and an abundance of water for a short time of the year (generally in June and July), and a relatively low sustainable baseflow . Forest cover is sparse, especially in the Kura and Aras headwaters, and most of the water that falls on

832-521: Is related either to Mingrelian kur 'water, river' or to an ancient Caucasian Albanian language term for 'reservoir'. The Georgian name of Kura is Mt'k'vari (in old Georgian Mt'k'uari ), either from Georgian "good water" or a Georgianized form of Megrelian tkvar-ua "gnaw" (as in, "river that eats its way through the mountains"). The name Kura was adopted first by the Russians and later by European cartographers. In some definitions of Europe,

884-413: Is unclear, and some connect it with Adarnase I or Adarnase II . Another bas-relief, with Stepanoz II in front of the Christ , is found on the southern apsis. Possibly, the church architect, a kneeling figure, is depicted on the southern facet of the tholobate . The small Guaram's church, quadrangular in general proportions, has a cross-shaped interior. It is connected to a portal from the north, with

936-545: The Aras , the largest tributary, at the city of Sabirabad . At the Aras confluence it makes a large arc to the north and then flows almost due south for about 60 kilometres (37 mi), passing the west side of Shirvan National Park , before turning east and emptying into the Caspian Sea at Neftçala . Most of the Kura runs in the broad and deep valley between the Greater Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus Mountains, and

988-519: The Holy Oils are kept inside the sacristy. Sacristies are usually off limits to the general public. The word "sacristy" derives from the Latin sacristia , sometimes spelled sacrastia , which is in turn derived from sacrista ("sexton, sacristan"), from sacra ("holy"). A person in charge of the sacristy and its contents is called a sacrist or a sacristan . The latter name was formerly given to

1040-518: The Prothesis , two rooms or areas adjacent to the Holy Table (altar). Work on finding the so-called "lost medieval sacristy of Henry III" at Westminster Abbey during an episode of the archaeological television programme Time Team revealed that the abbey originally had two separate sacristies. As well as a conventional sacristy for storage of ceremonial vessels such as the chalice and paten,

1092-514: The Soviet period , the church was preserved as a national monument, but access was rendered difficult by tight security at a nearby military base. After the independence of Georgia, the building was restored to active religious use. Jvari was listed together with other monuments of Mtskheta in 1994 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . However, over the centuries the structures suffered damage from rain and wind erosion and inadequate maintenance. Jvari

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1144-577: The sexton of a parish church , where he would have cared for these things, the fabric of the building and the grounds. In the Moravian Church , in addition to storing vestments and other vessels, the preparation room is where the Lovefeast is made ready for distribution to the congregation. In Eastern Christianity , the functions of the sacristy are fulfilled by the Diaconicon and

1196-551: The 1920s, wetlands were drained and reservoirs were created to facilitate development of irrigation in the lower Kura valley. In the 1950s and 1960s, when the Caucasus region was part of the Soviet Union , construction of many of the reservoirs and waterworks in the Kura basin began. Of the major reservoirs in the Kura catchment, one of the earliest was at Varvara in 1952. Large-scale construction of dams continued until

1248-416: The 1920s, humans did not have a significant effect on the ecology or hydrology of the Kura catchment area. Since then, logging , grazing and especially agriculture began to have a severe outcome on the water availability of the basin. Many forested areas in the mountains have been replaced by thin grassland because of logging. These habitat changes have been detrimental to the ecology of the Kura basin. After

1300-479: The 1970s. Sacristy A sacristy , also known as a vestry or preparation room , is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble ) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located inside the church , but in some cases it is an annex or separate building (as in some monasteries ). In most older churches,

1352-546: The 4,525,000 hectares (11,180,000 acres) of agricultural land in the lower Kura catchment area, 1,426,000 hectares (3,520,000 acres), about 31%, are irrigated. Much of the water diverted from the river for irrigation goes to waste because of leakage from the canals, evaporation, poor maintenance, and other causes. Leaking water causes groundwater to rise, in some areas so high that about 267,000 hectares (660,000 acres) of land are so waterlogged that they are no longer suitable for agriculture. About 631,000 hectares (1,560,000 acres) of

1404-534: The Aras as a right tributary, and enters the Caspian Sea at Neftçala . The total length of the river is 1,515 kilometres (941 mi). People have inhabited the Caucasus region for thousands of years and first established agriculture in the Kura Valley over 4,500 years ago. Large, complex civilizations eventually grew on the river, but by 1200 CE most were reduced to ruin by natural disasters and foreign invaders. The increasing human use, and eventual damage, of

1456-538: The Ascension of Christ. Internal walls were originally covered with ashlar , and later plastered and painted in frescos, little of which survived. Varied bas-relief sculptures with Hellenistic and Sassanian influences decorate its external observable eastern and southern façades, some of which are accompanied by explanatory inscriptions in Georgian Asomtavruli script. The entrance tympanum on

1508-503: The Kura defines the borderline between Europe and Asia . In the various regional languages, the river is known as: Azerbaijani : Kür , Georgian : მტკვარი , Mt’k’vari , Persian : Korr, Armenian : Կուր , Kour , and Turkish : Kür . In Greek and Latin sources of antiquity, the river was known as the Cyrus river; Ancient Greek : Κῦρος ; Latin : Cyrus , as attested by Strabo and Pliny respectively. Bundahishn ,

1560-549: The Kura-Aras lowland called the river Mother Kür , signifying the importance of the river to the region. The first irrigation agriculture began about 4,500 years ago in the eastern Azerbaijan lowlands. Trading centers were established in time, including one at Mingachevir in Azerbaijan and another at Mtskheta in Georgia. The site at Mingachevir (probably Sudagylan ), first discovered in the 1940s by archaeologist G. I. Ione, had "seven rectangular kilns ... The fuel chamber

1612-428: The architect, who wanted to diminish the contrast between large and small spaces. The Jvari church had a great impact on the further development of Georgian architecture and served as a model for many other churches. The leading element of the building, the dome, has an 8-faceted tholobate . Under the dome, near the center of the interior, stands a postament, surrounded by an octagon, important artistic addition, which

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1664-455: The church, and its original postament can still be found here. In 914, during the Sajid invasion of Georgia , the church was burned by Arabs , but it managed to survive with only minor repairments. The importance of Jvari complex increased over time and attracted many pilgrims. In the late Middle Ages , the complex was fortified by a stone wall and gate, remnants of which still survive. During

1716-572: The confluence with the Aras River, the drainage area of the tributary is actually larger than the Kura by about 4%, and it is also longer. However, because of the more arid conditions and equally intensive water use, the discharge of the Aras is much less than the Kura, so downstream of the confluence the river is still called the Kura. About 52% of the river's flow comes from snowmelt and glaciers, 30% comes from groundwater seepage, and roughly 18% from precipitation. Because of high water use, many of

1768-433: The entrance to the church here and from the south. The church walls are covered by well-processed blocks. The conch was covered in mosaic, but only a fragment remains. A decorated niche is meant for the katolikos of Georgia. The southern entrance is decorated by capitals with ornamental leaves. A portal also connects the two churches. The monastery complex is surrounded by remnants of walls with towers. The entrance with

1820-501: The gate was from the east. Uncertainty over, and debate about, the date of the church's construction have assumed nationalist undertones in Georgia and Armenia. Each nation claims to have invented the "four-apsed church with four niches" form exhibited by Jvari. The monastery is currently under threat from erosion caused by acid rain and strong winds. 41°50′19″N 44°44′02″E  /  41.83861°N 44.73389°E  / 41.83861; 44.73389 Mtkvari The Kura

1872-425: The highlands becomes runoff instead of supplying groundwater . Attempts at flood control include the constructions of levees , dikes and dams, the largest of which is at Mingachevir , an 80-metre (260 ft)-high rockfill dam impounding over 15.73 cubic kilometres (12,750,000 acre⋅ft) of water. However, because of the high sediment content of rivers in the Kura basin, the effectiveness of these floodworks

1924-413: The irrigated lands have a dangerously high salt content because of mineral deposits from irrigation. Of this, 66,000 hectares (160,000 acres) are extremely salinated. Irrigation returns water, returned to the river by an extensive but outdated drainage system, contributes to severe pollution. Some of this degradation also comes from industrial and municipal wastewater discharge. The ancient inhabitants of

1976-443: The lower half, which is typically more turbid and polluted. This pattern is also apparent in most of its tributaries, especially the larger ones that span more climate zones, such as the Aras and Alazani. There are many lakes and wetlands along the Kura's lower course, most of which are formed by flooding, and some of which are formed by irrigation runoff water. Many lakes also form at the mouths of small tributaries that do not reach

2028-421: The major tributary, the Aras, drains most of the southern Caucasus and the mountain ranges of the extreme northern Middle East . The entirety of Armenia and most of Azerbaijan are drained by the river. Most of the elevation change in the river occurs within the first 200 kilometres (120 mi). While the river starts at 2,740 metres (8,990 ft) above sea level, the elevation is 693 metres (2,274 ft) by

2080-605: The present building, or "Great Church of Jvari", is generally held to have been built between 590 and 605 by Guaram's son Erismtavari Stepanoz I . This is based on the Jvari inscriptions on its facade which mentions the principal builders of the church: Stephanos the patricius, Demetrius the hypatos, and Adarnase the hypatos. Professor Cyril Toumanoff disagrees with this view, identifying these individuals as Stepanoz II , Demetre (brother of Stepanoz I), and Adarnase II (son of Stepanoz II), respectively. Nino's cross remained inside of

2132-410: The river flow through a semi- desert environment. Forest cover is sparse. Almost 60 species of fish inhabit the Kura and its tributaries. Some common families include loach , bleak , trout and nase , and many of these fish are endemic to the region. Among rivers of the Caucasus, the Kura has the largest number of endemic species. The upper section of the river supports much more biodiversity than

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2184-476: The rivers that flow into the Caspian Sea, and is divided into three main sections, or "sleeves", composed of sediment the river deposited during different periods of time. Before 1998, the river flowed all the way to the tip of the delta, where it discharged into the Caspian. In that year, the river escaped its channel and started to flow off to the west, leaving the last few kilometers abandoned. The course change

2236-473: The shape of a cross, prolonged from east to west, with each arm ended by semicircular apses . The Jvari church is an early example of a "four-apsed church with four niches" domed tetraconch . Between the four apses are three-quarter cylindrical niches, which are open to the central space, and the transition from the square central bay to the base of the dome's drum is effected through three rows of squinches , an architectural achievement of its time. The lower row

2288-476: The site of a pagan temple. The cross was reportedly able to work miracles and therefore drew pilgrims from all over the Caucasus . A small church was erected over the remnants of the wooden cross in c.545 during the rule of Guaram I , and named the "Small Church of Jvari", which can still be seen adjacent to the main church from the north. The small church did not satisfy the needs of popular pilgrimage site, and

2340-537: The smaller tributaries of the Kura no longer reach the river, instead disappearing in the plain many kilometers from their original mouths. The following rivers are tributaries of the Kura, from source to mouth: Steppe characterizes the arid reaches of the Kura catchment, while meadows are often found in the alpine areas. The Kura catchment area is considered as part of the Kura-South Caspian Sea Drainages ecoregion . Some portions of

2392-594: The southern façade is adorned with a relief of the Glorification of the Cross, the same façade also shows an Ascension of Christ , a rather prevalent theme in Early Christian art. The cross, which is a traditional Bolnisi cross , is held by two angels. Northern façade is closed by a small earlier built church, as well as the western, visible from afar, are not decorated. Each window on the eastern façade has

2444-535: The time it reaches Khashuri in central Georgia, just out of the mountains, and only 291 metres (955 ft) when it reaches Azerbaijan. The lower part of the river flows through the Kura-Aras Lowland , which covers most of central Azerbaijan and abuts the Caspian Sea. The Kura is the third largest, after the Volga and Ural , of the rivers that flow into the Caspian. Its delta is the fourth largest among

2496-443: The ultimate destination in the Caspian most of the time. The local name for these lakes translate to dead lake or dead water , suggesting that these lakes do not support much biodiversity. Formerly navigable up to Tbilisi , the largest city on the river, the amount of water in the Kura has greatly diminished in the 20th century because of extensive use for irrigation , municipal water , and hydroelectricity generation. The Kura

2548-491: The watershed's forests and grasslands, contributed to a rising intensity of floods through the 20th century. In the 1950s, the Soviet Union started building many dams and canals on the river. Previously navigable up to Tbilisi in Georgia, the Kura is now much slower and shallower, having been harnessed by irrigation projects and hydroelectric power stations . The river is now moderately polluted by major industrial centers like Tbilisi and Rustavi in Georgia. The name Kura

2600-505: Was a trapezoid. The inner walls and floor were covered with a special coating. These kilns were attributed to the third century B.C. [2,300 years ago]. The number of kilns and the quantity of raw material indicate a trade center." The settlement was probably destroyed by a fire around A.D. 600, but its demise is uncertain. But perhaps the most famous of the ancient settlements on the Kura is the "cave town" at Uplistsikhe , Georgia, first settled as early as 3,500 years ago. The city, carved into

2652-481: Was listed in the 2004 World Monuments Watch list by the World Monuments Fund . Jvari is an example of a harmonic relationship between architecture and nature. The temple, which appears to be growing from the mountain, was built on a cliff. The western facade, strengthened by a controforse wall, nearly hangs over the precipice. It has two entrances, from the north and from the south. The building has

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2704-430: Was originally at the base of Nino's cross, but now holds a new wooden cross. The four cylindrical niches between the apses lead to four rooms: two in the eastern part, the altar and the sacristy , and two in the western, prayer rooms for the ruler (northwestern) and for women (southwestern). A writing above the latter room tells that its construction was funded by unknown Timistia. It also has a flat relief with depiction of

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