Bagrati Cathedral and central Kutaisi

Bagrati Cathedral stands on Ukimerioni hill and is visible from most of Kutaisi. It was completed in 1003 under Bagrat III as the symbolic cathedral of a newly united Georgian kingdom. In 1692, during an Ottoman campaign, an explosion brought down the dome and much of the walls, and for nearly three centuries the building stood as a ruin.

Between 2009 and 2012 it was heavily rebuilt using modern materials, including new structural elements and a lift. Because of that intervention UNESCO removed Bagrati from the World Heritage List, and the cathedral is no longer inscribed — unlike Gelati, which retained its listing.

That does not make the visit pointless. The hill gives the best view over Kutaisi and the Rioni valley, and the building itself is an unusually clear illustration of the argument about how far restoration should go.

Down in the town:

• the Colchis Fountain on the central square, with enlarged copies of ancient goldwork
• the White Bridge and the Rioni embankment
• the Green Bazaar, good for Imeretian cheese, honey and spices
• the opera house and streets of 19th-century townhouses

Kutaisi is identified with the ancient kingdom of Colchis, and the legends of Aeetes and the Golden Fleece belong to this stretch of river.