US Embassy to Fund the First Phase of Conservation of Jvari Monastery

On November 12, the US Embassy in Tbilisi announced funding for a project focused on the conservation of damaged stones on the facades of the main church at Jvari Monastery.  
Funding for the project was made available by a grant through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).

The $100,000 project will be implemented by the George Chubinashvili National Research Center for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation, with the help of various interdisciplinary teams, the US Embassy reports. This project will cover the first phase of the conservation cycle by carrying out a comprehensive study to identify, classify and map the extent of damage and deterioration of the façade.

The main church 'Jvari of the Holy Cross' (586-605 A.D.) is Jvari Monastery’s most important and valuable monument. The Jvari Monastery complex is part of the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has provided financial support to more than 1000 cultural preservation projects in more than 125 countries through the contribution of nearly $74 million towards the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide. In Georgia, the AFCP has funded 19 preservation projects worth nearly $1,5 million.

By Nini Dakhundaridze

Image source: Wikipedia.