Chkhortoli Church

Chkhortoli Church (XI-XIX Centuries) ჩხორთოლის ეკლესია (XI-XIX საუკუნეები) (in Georgian)
Religion
Affiliation	Georgian Orthodox
Province	Abkhazia[1]
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	ruins
Location
Location	Chkhortoli, Gali Municipality, Abkhazia, Georgia
Shown within Abkhazia Show map of Abkhazia Chkhortoli Church (Georgia) Show map of Georgia
Geographic coordinates	42°44′00″N 41°42′45″E
Architecture
Type	Church
Completed	11-19th century

Chkhortoli Church (XI-XIX centuries) (Georgian: ჩხორთოლის ეკლესია (XI-XIX საუკუნეები)) is a church on right bank of Chkhortoli river in the village of Chkhortoli, Gali Municipality, Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, Georgia. [2]

History

The church was built in the 11th-13th centuries. The construction represents an 18th-19th century hall church with an old, 11th century foundation and an overhanging apse. The church has a gate on the western side. The upper part of the gate represents a big arch open both from the façade and the church's inner part. Three large windows are located in the altar. An arched niche is on the northern side of the altar. Southern and northern walls also have windows. The western door is arched-shaped and other doors have a rectangular shape. The interior walls have two arches that are situated on a standing out sharp pilaster. The pilasters are ending with decorated (ornamented) capitals. The church roofing is totally demolished. All walls are on the same level and there is no sign of a vault. Apparently, the church had a girder roofing.[3]

References

1. The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
2. Church in Chkhortoli village Historical monuments of Abkhazia — Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
3. Khvistani, Revaz (2009). მასალები საქართველოს ქრისტიანული არქეოლოგიისათვის [Materials for Christian Archaeology of Georgia] (PDF) (in Georgian). Tbilisi. pp. 13–24. ISBN 978-9941-0-1616-5.

External links

• Chkhortoli Church (11th-19th centuries)