The house is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin. Its second name, the Chelishi hermitage, comes from the word udabno: in the Georgian tradition that means a secluded monastic place to which people withdrew from the world, and such houses were set apart from the villages, higher up the slope.
The monastery rises above Khonchiori, in the mountains of Ambrolauri municipality. The church of the Virgin of the village itself stands about three kilometres below, and further down the valley come the church of Kedisubani, the church of Cheliaghele and the house of St. Nino at Agara. Ambrolauri is about nine kilometres away, Tkibuli fifteen.
The usual monastic rules apply: covered shoulders and knees, a headscarf and skirt for women, quiet in the yard. Photography inside is not always welcome, and asking is easier than apologising. The climb runs along a mountain road, better walked in rain or snow.
โช For pilgrims
- A house of the Nativity of the Virgin, also the Chelishi hermitage
- The mountains above Khonchiori, Ambrolauri municipality
- The word udabno means a secluded monastic place
๐ Getting there
- Landmark: Khonchiori village, Ambrolauri municipality; about nine kilometres to Ambrolauri
- The Build Route button will show the exact way
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