History
Transfiguration
Church of Samtavro and Saint Nino's Nunnery are situated in Mtskheta-Tbilisi
Eparchy, at the mouth of the rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi. The Nunnery is under
the supervision of the Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia Archbishop of Mtstkheta-Tbilisi
Ilia II. According to the ancient sources Mtskheta was considered as the Second
Jerusalem.
The conversion
of Georgia, or Iberia, to Christianity is closely connected with the name
of the Equal to Apostles Nino from Kabadokya, who as "the kind herd lighted
the scattered lambs", unified the Georgian nation and"presented
it before the 
God".
Saint Nino preached Christianity at this place (blackberry bush), the light of which was spread in the whole Georgia, after which Christianity was declared as the state religion in times of the Holly King Mirian and the Holly Queen Nana, in 324 A.D. St. Nino's Blackberry Bush is like the spiritual source and the analogue of Moses' "Unburnt Blackberry" from Holly Bible.
"After St Andrew the First Called and Simon from Canaan's divine way there is St. Nino's way - the original way of every Georgian, and this way has brought us Christ's light" - said His Holiness and Bless Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II.
It is known that Samtavro has been a hearth for the Christian ecclesiastic and spiritual life of Georgia for many centuries.
"Kartlis Tskhovreba" (the Georgian Chronicles) keeps the Holly King Mirian's words, "...And I hereby built a Church at Nino's blackberry bush (here it is meant a small church at St. Nino's Blackberry Bush), and I hereby built upper church with stones for myself (here it is meant Samtavro Church) and for my people, as the lower church (here it is meant Svetitskhoveli Cathedral) is called as the Holly Altar and I dare not to attend it except Sunday..."
After St. Nino's death, the Equal to the Apostles Holly King Mirian came back from Bodbe and completed the construction of Samtavro Church, "... And went the King and the whole nation to built the upper church with stone and completed it on the fourth year". Participation of the "whole nation" and the four-year construction indicates how great the church was.
According to Vakhushti Batonishvili, "Mirian built great Church of Savior's Divine with Samtavro's stones and dome, and passed away and was buried there".
King Mirian adoring St. Nino's Blackberry Bush and being modest chose Samtavo's Church for his final rest. "And Mirian was buried near the central column to the south and four years later passed away his wife the Queen Nana and was buried to the western column".
As the holly place has served for clergymen and "Archbishops, the place was called Samtavro (i.e. "Lord's place")". According to the old chronicles, Samtavro was gifted great donations by kings and queens of Georgia, thus being one of the richest and powerful cathedrals.
In the first quarter of XI century during the reign of Giorgi I, the church was enlarged, and the southern entrance was built and decorated with original ornaments according to the order of Cathalicos Melkisedec. The interior was also painted at that time.
Transfiguration Church has been destroyed and reconstructed for many times since King Mirian. The Church was restored during the reign of kings Archil, Vakhtang Gorgasali, Catholicos Patriarch Melkisedec...
In the second part of XIX century during Exarch period the Church was restored by Mother Superior and the Priest of St. Nino's Nunnery Nino Amilakhvari. She also founded theological grammar school for women (four-grade pro-lyceum), which was later moved to Tbilisi. According to Jacob Gogenashvili "Great many Georgian ladies had ability to gain pure Christian knowledge and good education, study high manners and needle-work at School. It prepared good parents, and true mothers for our society".
Among diverse
nunnery complex there still remain Transfiguration Church, St. Nino's small
church (at Blackberry Bush), a chapel, a tower, the royal fireplace. The iconostas
of the Church is dated back to XV century, and the frescos are dated back
to XVII century. There is St. Archangel Michael's Church at the southern entrance.
There are two churches at the northern part - St. John the Baptist's Church
is to the east and St. John Zlatoust's Church is to the west. There is an
offering on the left of the great altar and King Mirian and Queen Nana's Church
on the right. The Church has cross-dome shape and is decorated with original
ornaments that have no analogues in the Georgian architecture. A cylinder
shape tower is built in XVIII century, and the chapel is built in XV - XVII
c.c.