A five-day cross procession in Georgia has concluded, commemorating the 1,700th anniversary of the country’s declaration of Christianity as a state religion.

The religious march ran from the village of Gorijvari to Mount Tkhoti, a site considered significant in Georgian church history. The pilgrimage began on June 15 at the Church of Saint George in Gorijvari, where Metropolitan Andrew of Gori and Ateni performed a blessing of water and offered prayers for participants before the journey commenced.

Clergy and parishioners from the Gori and Ateni dioceses, as well as the Samtavisi and Kaspi dioceses of the Georgian Orthodox Church, took part in the procession. Over five days, pilgrims traveled through multiple settlements in the Shida Kartli region, holding prayer services, liturgies, and blessings for local residents along the route.

According to the Gori Diocese press service, the procession passed through a series of villages and towns including Khidistavi, Doesi, Khovle, Grakali, Teliani, Sasireti, Upper and Lower Khandaki, Metekhi, the town of Kaspi, as well as Mikeltskaro and Agaiani.

The opening ceremony was attended by regional and municipal officials, including Shida Kartli State Representative Simon Guledani, Gori Mayor Konstantine Buzaladze, Kaspi Mayor Vakhtang Maisuradze, local council members, and administrative staff. Metropolitan Andrew thanked participants for their shared prayers and emphasized the importance of preserving spiritual traditions and historical memory.

Organizers said the procession formed part of anniversary events marking 1,700 years since Christianity was adopted as the state religion. The pilgrimage concluded at Mount Tkhoti, a location closely associated with one of the foundational narratives of Georgian Christianity and the conversion of King Mirian III in the 4th century.

According to Georgian hagiographic tradition, King Mirian once became engulfed in sudden darkness while hunting near Mount Tkhoti. After his appeals to pagan gods failed, he prayed to the God preached by Saint Nino, the Enlightener of Georgia. The darkness reportedly lifted, an event that became a turning point leading to the king’s conversion and the later proclamation of Christianity as the state religion of the ancient Kingdom of Iberia.

The procession is part of broader commemorations highlighting Georgia’s long Christian heritage and its enduring role in national identity.