In 1960s Tbilisi, the name Elguja Amashukeli quickly became famous. It was impossible to be in the city without hearing about him, and even more impossible not to notice his public works. They became instant landmarks, and have remained as symbols of the city ever since.

King Erekle was a son of King of Kakheti Teimuraz II. King Teimuraz II ruled Kakheti from 1709 to 1744, first as a governor, and then as King of Kartli from 1744. Interestingly, Teimuraz’s father, Erekle I (1688-1709), and brother, Constantine II (1722-1732), were not distinguished by their devotion to Christian religion or high ideals. Indeed, their biographies show that power was more important to them than the well-being of their subjects or peaceful relations with the neighboring rulers. Yet, it appears that, unlike his father and brother, Teimuraz was firmly determined to defend Christianity and establish an alliance with Russia so as to be able to defend his kingdom against its Muslim neighbors. Erekle II’s mother, Tamar, was the daughter of King Vakhtang VI (1716-24), so the prince, born in Telavi on November 7, 1720, united both the Kartlian and Kakhetian branches of the Bagrationi dynasty of Eastern Georgia.

Khirsa Monastery, located in the village of Tibaani in Sighnaghi Municipality, Kakheti Province, is one of the oldest monastic foundations in Georgia. It was established in the mid-sixth century by St. Stephen, one of the group of monks known as the “Thirteen Syrian Fathers.” The Church of St. Stephen, standing at the center of the precinct, reflects the monastery’s turbulent history. With its irregular forms and walls constructed from various materials, it bears traces of at least four major construction periods.