Lower Bethlehemi Church

Tbilisi, Georgia

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

The Lower Bethlemi Church, situated at the foot of Narikala fortress in Old Tbilisi, is an Armenian monastery rebuilt in its present form between 1868 and 1870. Known also as the Church of Saint Stepanos of the Holy Virgins, the structure draws on Armenian architectural traditions while occupying a centuries-old sacred site—portions of the building date to the 14th century. Originally operated as an Armenian church following its 19th-century reconstruction, the monastery was transferred to Georgian Orthodox administration in 1988 and underwent cultural reorientation in 1991.