Hotel Rcheuli Palace

Kutaisi – is the city of May and roses is located on both banks of the Rioni River. Since ancient times the city was considered to be the capital of the ancient state of Colchis. Its name Kutaisi is obliged to the Georgian word “qva” – stone. Temples, monasteries and other cultural places of the city have long been under the protection of UNESCO.

The most famous places in the city are the parliament building, the bridge over the Rioni River, the building of the historical museum, the drama theater, the monastery of David and Constantine – Motsameta, the monastery of the Virgin – Gelati, the Bagrat temple and the karst caves of Sataplia and Prometheus.

The famous Greek Argonauts headed by Jason went to seek the Golden Fleece in the heart of Colchis. In 1003 the Bagrat temple was built in the city, where solemn coronations of Georgian kings took place and it was here that David IV the Builder was crowned. Magnificent in size and proportions, the temple is magnificently decorated with carvings and mosaics. In 1106, David the Fourth Builder founded the Gelati Monastery. Monastery later became the burial vault of the tsar. To this day it is the most significant medieval monastery in Georgia.

The history of the Motsameta temple built in memory of the brothers David and Konstantin Mkheidze. They were killed by Arab invaders tortures in the 7th century and ranked among the saints of the Georgian Church, is interesting; their relics lie in one tomb, the foot of which are wooden lions. The most unique natural object of Kutaisi is the Sataplia Nature Reserve, located north-west of the city; located on the territory of the crater of an extinct volcano. A lot of traces of the ancient man and dinosaurs were found on reserve territory.