Travel Georgia

• A carved right hand holding an L-shaped square/ruler (a stonemason’s tool)
• Usually shown as a compact emblem (not a full narrative scene)
• Often appears with (or near) an inscription naming Arsukisdze / asking forgiveness

• Notably at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Mtskheta)
• More broadly: lintels, thresholds, and exterior stone blocks where builders left marks or inscriptions

It’s one of the most memorable “maker marks” in Georgian sacred architecture: a human-scale signature embedded into a monumental building. When you spot it, you’re seeing the craft tradition being made visible — not just the patron or the saint.

Don’t assume every hand + tool motif is Arsukisdze. Treat it as a prompt to check nearby inscriptions or labels before you conclude it’s the specific Svetitskhoveli relief.

• A rotating sun-wheel motif (often 7 curved arms/wings) around a center
• Feels like a spinning pinwheel or a stylized spiral sun
• Often appears as a standalone emblem (not tied to a specific saint)

• Decorative programs (stonework, metalwork, carved ornament)
• Folk-art-inspired graphics, souvenirs, and modern brand marks borrowing traditional motifs

You’ll see Borjgali used as a broad “Georgian identity” marker — less like a church-specific symbol, more like a cultural shorthand for continuity, time, and heritage.

• Cross arms end in flared wedges or slanted edges (like a “T” that’s been beveled)
• Often carved as a crisp geometric mark on stone

• Facades and exterior stone reliefs
• Capitals, lintels, boundary stones
• Sometimes on modern signage borrowing historic motifs

This style shows up across Georgian ecclesiastical art and stone carving. When you see it repeatedly, it’s a signal you’re in a place with deep Christian architectural continuity—not just a modern decoration choice.

• A large central cross with four smaller crosses in the corners
• Usually presented in red on white (flag, signage, patches)
• The four corner crosses are often drawn in a slightly flared style related to Bolnisi cross forms

• The national flag (obviously), but also on government buildings, police/official uniforms, and ceremonial banners
• Souvenirs and wayfinding graphics that lean on national symbols

In daily life, this is one of the fastest “you are in Georgia” signals — and it’s also a compact visual bridge between national identity and older Christian cross iconography.

• From a distance: a compact, blocky stone church with a central drum/dome
• Windows feel relatively small and deep-set
• Up close: the building reads like a square core with projecting arms (a cross-like massing)

• Early medieval landmarks (e.g. Jvari)
• Major cathedral complexes around Mtskheta
• Hilltop churches designed for long-distance visibility

This silhouette shows up again and again across Georgia. If you can spot it early, you’ll start comparing churches by proportion: dome height, window rhythm, facade carving density — and you’ll notice what makes each site distinct rather than “another church.”

Not every Georgian church fits this cleanly. Later restorations, attached chapels, or defensive walls can change the outline — use the dome + compact massing combo as your primary cue.

• Stone inscriptions in rounded, monumental-looking letters (often on exterior walls)
• Look for text placed like a label: near an entrance, on a facade band, or beside a relief
• If you see a cross inside/near the inscription, treat it as part of the composition (not “random decoration”)

• Exterior facades and door surrounds
• Gate structures, boundary stones, and commemorative plaques
• Museums (architectural fragments and re-set stones)

Once you start recognizing inscriptions as intentional “credits” (patrons, builders, dates, prayers), churches stop being anonymous stone and start feeling authored. It’s also one of the quickest ways to notice Georgia’s distinctive writing tradition in the wild.

• Winged figures in military armor (Michael) or court robes (Gabriel)
• Michael often holds a sword/scales; Gabriel often holds a staff/orb
• Often guarding doors

• flanking the main entrance (inside or out)
• The 'Deacon's Doors' (side doors) of the Iconostasis

They are the guardians of the sacred space. You pass them as you enter or exit.

• Stern, bearded adult Christ holding a Gospel book
• Right hand raised in blessing (fingers spelling IC XC)
• Usually depicted from the chest up

• The very top of the dome (looking down on you)
• The Iconostasis (to the right of the Royal Doors)

This is the theological center of the church. It represents Christ as the judge and ruler of the universe.

• A king with a long beard, wearing Byzantine imperial robes
• Holding a church model in one hand (offering it to Christ/Mary)
• Sometimes has a distinct 'pendant' on his turban/crown

• Gelati Monastery (most famous fresco)
• Modern statues and icons throughout the country

He united Georgia and started the Golden Age. He is the ultimate symbol of the Christian King and state-builder.

• A royal woman in bejeweled Byzantine robes and crown
• Often holding a model of a church
• Usually shown with her father (Giorgi III) or son (Lasha Giorgi)

• Vardzia (famous fresco)
• Betania Monastery
• Kintsvisi Monastery

The apex of the Georgian Golden Age. She is a saint and a king (called 'Mepe' - King, not Queen). Her image represents the height of Georgian culture.

If she's holding a church model, she is a 'Ktistor' (founder). If she has a halo, she is a saint.