This final version of cathedral has survived more than 1470 years, and in that time has transformed from a Greek Orthodox cathedral to a Roman Catholic place of worship, back to a Greek Orthodox cathedral, and then to an imperial mosque, before the 1935 renovation that made it a museum. More remarkable, St. Nino chose this place for Georgia’s first church following a miracle, hinted to in the current cathedral’s name, which translates to “the Living Pillar Cathedral.” Among the largest Christian churches in the world, this 109,641-square-foot cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete, beginning in 1386.