Patriarchate: The Patriarch received a delegation of experts from UNESCO and its advisory bodies; during the meeting, a readiness for further cooperation was expressed with the aim of preserving the Gelati Monastery complex in its original form
His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia Shio III received a delegation of experts from UNESCO and its advisory bodies—ICOMOS and ICCROM—at the Patriarchal residence.
According to the Patriarchate, the delegation was led by Irena Kākete, a specialist in Europe and North America programs at the World Heritage Centre. The delegation also included representatives from the advisory bodies: Alkiviades Prepis and Alison Heritage.
“The main topic of the meeting was the large-scale rehabilitation process currently underway at the Gelati Monastery complex. Participants reviewed the work already carried out and that which is planned for the site, exchanged professional views, and expressed their readiness for further cooperation aimed at preserving the monastery complex in its original form.
As the foreign specialists noted, the Temporary Committee for the Rehabilitation of Gelati is meticulously implementing their recommendations. The experts expressed their gratitude to the Head of the Georgian Church for his effective leadership and active involvement in the Gelati rehabilitation effort. They also thanked Archimandrite Kirion, Deputy Chairman of the Gelati Rehabilitation Committee, and the entire working group for their significant contributions.
It is worth noting that the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Shio III, heads the Temporary Committee for the Rehabilitation of Gelati and oversees the ongoing work. His Holiness highly commended the efforts made to save the monument and thanked Archimandrite Kirion—Deputy Chairman of the Gelati Rehabilitation Interim Committee—as well as the meeting participants for the dedication and high level of professionalism demonstrated during the work.
As noted during the meeting, experts from the World Heritage Centre and its advisory bodies stand ready to provide assistance and offer relevant recommendations to support the Georgian side.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Head of the Georgian Church presented the guests with commemorative crosses, created to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the declaration of Christianity as the state religion in Georgia," reads the statement.
