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An update from Evaneos
Ikalto

Ikalto (Georgia)

Practical information about Ikalto

  • Hiking / Trekking
  • Countryside
  • Place or Religious Monument
  • Place or Historical Monument
3 / 5 - One review
How to get there
10km drive from Telavi
When to go
All year round
Minimum stay
A few hours

Reviews of Ikalto

Timothée D. Travel writer
285 travel articles

Situated 10km to the west of Kakheti's capital, Telavi, the Ikalto Monastery (or Ikalto Academy) is an interesting site in a beautiful setting.

My suggestion:
The wall paintings that decorate its various churches are sublime and well worth a tour.
Summary:

As with neighbouring Armenia, Georgia is famous for numerous monasteries that are spread across the country. It may be because I was a bit distracted during my visit, but I don't have a lasting memory of the Ikalto Monastery, unlike other religious sites I visited during my holiday in Georgia. That this monastic complex was a prestigious academic centre during the Middle Ages is interesting and that it's nestled amongst cypress trees and rolling hills is enchanting, but I can't remember much more than that.

All the same, this is an important historical site that dates back to the 6th Century - a rare find in a country where other old, churches that remain today, were built between the 8th and 9th Centuries.

View through the arch at Ikalto Monastery