Zegani Monastery, nestled in a picturesque, dense forest near the village of Zegani in the Gurjaani Municipality of Kakheti, was established in the late sixth or early seventh century. Among its oldest buildings are the main church, dedicated to the Mother of God, and the Chapel of St Marina.

From the 1880s to 1910, a new stage began in Georgia’s fine arts development, propelled by professionally educated artists of the older generation that "gave birth" to modern Georgian secular painting. It was a move that partially broke the link with the Tiflis feudal, oriental, and portraiture painting school, which ceased to exist in 1880.

The men were both ascetics and missionaries, whose mission was to preach Christianity, and the foundation of monasteries became part of this mission. It is hard to know to which theological doctrine these ascetics adhered, and there is a great variety of scholarly opinion regarding this fact, seeing some declaring them Chalcedonians, others anti-Chalcedonians, while part of the academic community believes them to have been Nestorians.