Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)

Sameba is modern Tbilisi's boldest architectural statement. Built between 1995 and 2004 as a symbol of post-Soviet religious revival, it rises about a hundred metres from floor to the top of its cross, making it one of the tallest Orthodox churches in the South Caucasus.

The architect, Archil Mindiashvili, took the classic Georgian cross-dome plan and scaled it up enormously. The result divides opinion — critics call it too new, too smooth — but the interior genuinely feels different from an old church. Light drops straight from the dome into an almost empty volume, and the sheer emptiness is the point.

The complex is more than one building:

• The main cathedral with nine chapels, three of them underground
• A free-standing bell tower, the Patriarch's residence, a seminary and a working monastery
• Terraced gardens where the Old Town and the roofs of Avlabari line up in a single frame
• A view that is at its best in the evening, when the cathedral itself is lit

It is worth remembering that Sameba is an active cathedral rather than a monument. You can enter during the liturgy, but wandering with a camera during a service is not welcome, and Sunday mornings are busy with local worshippers rather than visitors.