 Since the late 18th century the monastery serviced ethnic Greeks who were settled in Akhtala in order to work in the gold and silver mines . Roughly 800 Greek families were moved from <unk> in the Ottoman Empire to Akhtala in 1763 by the Georgian King <unk> II . The Greeks called the monastery " <unk> " . The Greek miners have left inscriptions on the monastery walls . In the 19th century Akhtala was taken over by the Armenian princely family of <unk> . Currently the monastery has its pilgrimage days on September 20 – 21 . Armenians , Greeks and Georgians visit the monastery on this occasion . The Ambassador of Greece , <unk> <unk> visited the monastery on September 20 , 2006 . An ore mining and processing plant in Akhtala has been dumping copper mine tailings in the pit below the monastery . This has been classified as a threat to local residents . 
