3 Items
Matskhvarishi village, Latali community, Svaneti![](https://architectureandasceticism.exeter.ac.uk/files/square_thumbnails/ff599af6bba2eea1ec435676e6206d80.jpg)
The Church of the Ascension in Matskhvarishi village in the community of Latali in Svaneti was built in C10th-C11th and, as with much of Svaneti it was built in a distinct and more archaic form of architecture than that in the Georgian lowlands. As with other older churches, there is a semi-open arcade on the south aisle with an apse but in this case there does not appear to be a corresponding aisle on the north side as well.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Ascension, C10th-C11th, Church, Georgia, Latali, Matskhvarishi, Zemo Svaneti
Kvemo Bolnisi![](https://architectureandasceticism.exeter.ac.uk/files/square_thumbnails/43f8d8af3447dc3aa59193942fde30f3.jpg)
The C5th-C6th church at Kvemo Bolnisi has been recently, and sympathetically, restored. The extant building is the central nave of a building that originally had aisles to the north and south. However, these aisles were only accessible through one door to the north and two doors to the south - they were not open to the central nave with a columned arcade or piers. The apse of the south aisle is still extant and to the north, most of the northern aisle stands to shoulder height and above, but lacks a roof.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Ascension, C5th-C6th, Church, Cross, Georgia, Kvemo Bolnisi, Kvemo Kartli, Three Church Basilica, Triple Basilica
Jvari![](https://architectureandasceticism.exeter.ac.uk/files/square_thumbnails/025a2a840bc4b59a560b55abc9869bef.jpg)
Jvari means 'cross' in Georgian but the place known as Jvari is the high point above the city of Mtskheta where St.Nino is believed to have raised a cross in the C4th, signifying the arrival of Christianity in Georgia. The centrally-planned church on the site dates to the turn of the C6th-C7th and is the prototype for a genre of vernacular church architecture in Georgia. The sculptures on the east façade represent the Erismtavari Stepanoz I (during whose reign Jvari was constructed) being blessed by Christ, Erismtavari Adarnarse I with his son Kobul-Stepanoz (later Stepanoz II) and Dimitri, brother of Stepanoz I. On the south façade Kobul-Stepanoz (Stepanoz II) is shown with St. Stephen ando over the main entrance is a sculpture depicting the Ascension of the Cross. The south west (women's) entrance has the Ascension of Christ above it. A later chapel added to the north of the main church has been recently renovated, causing damage to the historical integrity of this part of the complex.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Adarnarse, Architecture, Ascension, C4th, C6th-C7th, Centrally-Planned, Christ, Church, Cross, Dimitri, Erismtavari, Figure, Jvari, Kobul-Stepanoz, Mtskheta, Sculpture, Shida Kartli, St. Nino, St. Stepanos, Stepanoz