Middle Ages, the complex was fortified by a stone wall and gate, remnants of which still survive. During the Soviet period, the church was preserved as a national monument, but access was rendered difficult by tight security at a nearby military base. After the independence of Georgia, the building was restored to active religious use. Jvari was listed together with other monuments of Mtskheta in 1994 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, over the centuries the structures suffered damage from rain and wind erosion and inadequate maintenance. Jvari was listed in the 2004 World Monuments Watch list by the World Monuments Fund. Architecture Jvari is an example of a harmonic relationship between architecture and nature. The temple, which appears to be growing from the mountain, was built on a cliff. The western facade, strengthened by a controforse wall, nearly hangs over the precipice. It has two entrances, from the north and from the south. The building has the shape of a cross, prolonged from east to west, with each arm ended by semicircular apses. The Jvari church is an early example of a "four-apsed church with four niches" domed tetraconch. Between the four apses are three-quarter cylindrical niches, which are open to the central space, and the transition from the square central bay to the base of the dome's drum is effected through three rows of squinches, an architectural achievement of its time. The lower row is made of four larger squinches, the two upper of smaller squinches, and finally the row of 32 facets, holding the dome. Thus, the dome rests on the walls, not on pillars, like in later churches, creating a single, entire space, and illusion of large size, although the church is less than 25 m high. Presence of high transitionary niches between the main space and the four small rooms is another trick of the architect, who wanted to diminish the contrast between large and small spaces. The Jvari church had a great impact on the further development of Georgian architecture and served as a model for many other churches. The leading element of the building, the dome, has an 8-faceted tholobate. Under the dome, near the center of the interior, stands a postament, surrounded by an octagon, important artistic addition, which was originally at the base of Nino's cross, but now holds a new wooden cross. The four cylindrical niches between the apses