▁( cir ca ▁ 5 2 2 - 5 3 4 ) ▁who ▁had ▁made ▁T bil isi ▁his ▁capital . ▁Origin ally ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Mary , ▁it ▁was ▁renamed ▁An ch isk h ati ▁( i . e ., ▁icon ▁of ▁An cha ) ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 5 ▁when ▁the ▁tre as ured ▁icon ▁of ▁the ▁Sav ior ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁tw elf th - century ▁g olds m ith ▁Be ka ▁Op iz ari ▁at ▁the ▁An cha ▁monaster y ▁in ▁K lar jet i ▁( in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁n ortheast ▁Turkey ) ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁T bil isi ▁so ▁preserve ▁it ▁from ▁an ▁Ott oman ▁invasion . ▁The ▁icon ▁was ▁preserved ▁at ▁the ▁Bas il ica ▁of ▁St ▁Mary ▁for ▁centuries ▁( it ▁is ▁now ▁on ▁display ▁at ▁the ▁Art ▁Museum ▁of ▁Georgia ). ▁ ▁The ▁bas il ica ▁was ▁dam aged ▁and ▁re built ▁on ▁several ▁occasions ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁through ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries ▁due ▁to ▁wars ▁between ▁Georgia ▁and ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁and ▁Tur ks . ▁The ▁brick ▁b elf ry ▁near ▁the ▁An ch isk h ati ▁Bas il ica ▁was ▁built ▁by ▁C athol icos ▁D oment i ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁look ▁of ▁the ▁structure ▁was ▁dr ast ically ▁changed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁when ▁a ▁d ome ▁was ▁added . ▁During ▁the ▁Soviet ▁period , ▁all ▁religious ▁cer emon ies ▁at ▁An