According to historical sources, a church was first built on this site as early as the 6th century by Vakhtang Gorgasal, King of Kartli. King Demetre the Devoted later rebuilt the church on the ruins of the earlier structure, resulting in architectural features that were unusual for that time. Over the centuries, the church’s architecture underwent many changes.

Did you know that…

1. The church’s name is believed to be connected to the icon of the Mother of God resting in the church of Metekhi. In historical sources, this church is referred to as “Metekhni” or "Metekhta".

2. Several legends are associated with the church. According to one of them, Bakatar, the Ossetian chief, abducted Vakhtang Gorgasal’s sister when she was three years old. The king decided to rescue her and waited for Bakatar across the Mtkvari River. Bakatar swore an oath not to shoot an arrow until he had crossed the water. However, Vakhtang broke his oath and shot an arrow at Bakatar. To atone for breaking his oath, he built the Metekhi Church - the name “Metekhi” meaning “I broke the oath".

3. According to the Georgian historian Niko Chubinashvili, the word “Metekhi” derives from the Greek word "metochi". Some researchers believe that in Old Georgian, “Metekhi” means “the area surrounding the palace’s domain".

4. The name “Metekhi” appears in 12th-century historical sources. According to Basil, the historian of Queen Tamar, when the Georgian army was defeated at the Battle of Shamkor in 1195, the queen herself came barefoot to the Metekhi Church and fervently prayed to the Mother of God, pleading for Georgia with tears.