Religion & Temples

1. ეკლესია ღიაა?

   Ek'lesia ghiaa?

   Is the church open?

   Usage

   Checking if a Georgian Orthodox church is open to visitors

   Grammar Note

   Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church is Georgia's main faith. Dress modestly in churches: cover shoulders and knees; women cover heads.

2. ეს ეკლესია რამდენი წლისაა?

   Es ek'lesia ramdeni ts'lisaa?

   How old is this church?

   Usage

   Asking how old a historic church is

   Grammar Note

   Most historic Georgian churches date from the 5th-12th centuries. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th c.) and Gelati Monastery (12th c.) are UNESCO sites.

3. სვეტიცხოვლის ტაძარი სად არის?

   Svet'itskhovlis t'adzari sad aris?

   Where is Svetitskhoveli Cathedral?

   Usage

   Asking for directions to Svetitskhoveli, Georgia's most important cathedral

   Grammar Note

   Svetitskhoveli in Mtskheta (old capital) is an 11th-century UNESCO cathedral. Legend says Christ's robe is buried beneath it. ~20 min from Tbilisi.

4. მონასტერში ვიზიტი შეიძლება?

   Monast'ershi vizit'i sheidzleba?

   Can I visit the monastery?

   Usage

   Asking if a monastery is open for visits

   Grammar Note

   Georgia has many active monasteries. David Gareja rock-hewn monastery complex (near Azerbaijani border) is a highlight not to be missed.

5. სამლოცველო სად არის?

   Samlotsvelo sad aris?

   Where is the prayer room / chapel?

   Usage

   Looking for a prayer room in a public building or airport

   Grammar Note

   "სამლოცველო" = place prefix "სა-" + "one who prays" + "-ო". Georgia is religiously tolerant with Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish, and Catholic communities.

6. ეკლესიაში შესასვლელი სად არის?

   Ek'lesiashi shesasvleli sad aris?

   Where is the entrance to the church?

   Usage

   Finding the entrance to a large church complex

   Grammar Note

   "შესასვლელი" (entrance) derived from "შეს-ვლა" (entering). "-ში" is the Georgian inessive case ending meaning "inside/into".

7. ეკლესიაში ასე ჩაცმა შეიძლება?

   Ek'lesiashi ase chatsma sheidzleba?

   Is this dress allowed inside the church?

   Usage

   Asking about the dress code inside a church

   Grammar Note

   Modest dress is required in Georgian churches. Most church entrances offer scarves and wrap-skirts for loan. Shoes usually stay on.

8. ლოცვა ახლა მიმდინარეობს?

   Lotsva akhla mimdinareobs?

   Is a prayer service taking place now?

   Usage

   Asking whether a service is in progress before entering a church

   Grammar Note

   "მიმდინარეობს" is an ordinary lexical verb meaning "is in progress" (not a grammatical progressive form). Georgian Orthodox services feature beautiful polyphonic chanting; quiet observation from the back is usually permitted.

9. მეჩეთი სად არის?

   Mecheti sad aris?

   Where is the mosque?

   Usage

   Asking for the location of a mosque in Georgia

   Grammar Note

   Tbilisi has the famous Juma Mosque (Metekhi district), serving Azerbaijani and other Muslim communities. Adjara in southwest Georgia is majority Muslim.

10. ებრაული სინაგოგა სად არის?

    Ebrauli sinagoga sad aris?

    Where is the Jewish synagogue?

    Usage

    Looking for a synagogue in Tbilisi or Georgia

    Grammar Note

    Tbilisi has two active synagogues. Georgian Jews have a 2,600-year history — one of the world's oldest continuous Jewish communities.

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