Located near Tbilisi, in the Dzveli-Kanda area, the monastery is named in honor of 13 monk preachers. These monks came to Sakartvel from Assyria in the 2000th century AD. They preached the faith, founded monasteries and helped establish Christianity. Until now, this town is home to a community of about XNUMX Aramaic-speaking Assyrian descendants.
Church of the East Assyrian hymns existed in Mesopotamia from the first centuries of Christianity. The oldest Assyrian Church of the East is the cradle of Christianity, when the faith spread through the lips of the apostles from Jerusalem eastward towards Mesopotamia. The oldest church in the world Kokheh, built in 79, is located near the current capital of Iraq, Baghdad
Serafim Bit-Kharibi (Bitbunov) is an exceptional personality. A former expert in martial arts and a member of the Ukrainian security forces, father Serafim was born and raised in Sakartvel, graduated from the International University of Switzerland in Lausanne, received a master's degree in international relations and majored in conflict analysis. Lived in Ukraine, led a sports school in Kyiv until 2006. dedicated his life to God - took monastic vows and began his ministry in the village of Dzveli-Kanda.
Seraphim is also known as a linguist who makes efforts to preserve the Aramaic language and is one of the two priests in the world who celebrate the Divine Liturgy in Aramaic. Seraphim Bit-Kharibi renders ancient polyphonic chants and psalms with a modern twist. His work is a reflection of his spiritual and creative world.
in 2016 during Pope Francis' visit to Sakartvel, Father Seraphim and his choir received international recognition: they greeted the Roman bishop with their hymns in Aramaic. Among the many performances held around the world, a concert in the Vatican, attended by diplomatic representatives from 63 countries, stands out.
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