In the holy valley where the rivers Kura (Mtkvari) and Aragvi merge with each, at the first capital of Georgia – Mtskheta, stands for thousands of years Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. More than 1,700 years, this place is a holy place of our ancestors and here was built the first cathedral church - Svetitskhoveli. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is a silent witness to history of Christian Georgia for 17 centuries. Its history completely repeats the history of Georgian people. Like the rest of the people of Georgia, Mtskheta Cathedral, from the first wooden church to the stone cathedral, repeated all the historical way of Georgian people.

The first insult was made to church in the period of Abul Qasim raid, when the temple was used as a stable for camels. Difficult period of history lasted for a long time, but when the proper time came, by order of Catholicos Melkisedek, at the place of first wooden church was built the new Cathedral. Most of all Cathedral was damaged in the raid of Timur Lang.

The church was looted and partially destroyed by removing one of the pillars, though they managed to destroy just the dome of the church. Destroyed part of the facade and dome were restored during the reign of Alexander I.

It was then when Svetitskhoveli undergone the first architectural changes. Most of the icons have not survived. Part of the ancient icons has been damaged by time. In the nineteenth century, during the Russian rule (Bazhenov) ancient icons were covered with several layers of lime. Icons were cleared from the layers of lime only in the sixties of the twentieth century.

The walls of Svetitskhoveli are keeping a lot of secrets. Here is kept a relic known as Halim of Elia. There are many rooms and warehouses where during the enemy invasions was sheltering the local population. The secret rooms contain the valuable books and jewelry.

There is also a well which apart from the main purpose also had a more important spiritual meaning. A vessel which was used as the part of christening ritual of the first Georgian Christian King Mirian and Queen Nana, also is kept in the Cathedral of Mtskheta.

The arched construction, indicating the location of the temple garment of Jesus Christ, was added in the 17th century.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is built from varied color range stones. That diversity of colors inspired the Georgian writer Konstantine Gamsakhurdia write about the Cathedral - "In the morning, blessed by the unremitting sun, Svetitskhoveli  is colored like a lizard, in the evening it shines in golden hues and at night Cathedral rises up to the heaven by the endless lines of harmony reaching the stars."

The walls of Svetitskhoveli are decorated with relief sculptures. They all have symbolic meaning. These walls, despite the many blows of fate, are reaching for the sky. That is why the Cathedral became a symbol of not only Christianity, but also a symbol of the life force of the Georgian people.