The Urbnisi cathedral was the seat of a Georgian Orthodox bishop bearing the title of Urbneli and known since at least the 8th century. In 1103, Urbnisi was one of the two locations of the landmark church council convened by King David IV of Georgia, the other being the nearby Ruisi cathedral. Currently, Urbnisi and Ruisi are the two principal cathedrals in the Eparchy of Urbnisi and Ruisi of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
