Friday, April 1, 2011

Georgian Monuments In Abkhazia region

                          Bichvinta floor mosaic (5th cent., Art Museum of Georgia)



             Bichvinta floor mosaic second part (5th cent., Art Museum of Georgia)

          Gagra church VI century.Georgian ortodox church near Gagra,ono-one of the beautiful Early-Cristian Georgian Basilica .


        Western fasade of the church identified in the circle is displayed Cross relief ,which is analogous to "Bolnisi Sioni" and "Mckheta Cross",characteristic for Early- Christian Georgian Arcitecture monuments.


Georgian inscription from the Church of Archangel Michael on Mount,Gudauta discrit IX century.


Cross King George II Abkhazia(Egrisi) II. Palace Dadiani, Zugdidi(On the left side, Georgian inscription)-Ⴠ Ⴄ Ⴢ(ჰ ე ჲ)

Façade stone of the church with the Georgian asomtavruli inscription commemorating its construction by George II

Pendant, cloisonné enamel - Shemokmedi . X century.
Cross of King George II (922-957) . Georgian - Greek inscription.

Bedia engraved cup,999 year.

The Four Gospels from Bichvinta (12 th century)

Parchament in minuscule (Nuskhuri-average Georgian) script,titles-executed with the use of Singuri.Three papers attached at the end contain texs copied by another scribe.The manuscript is wrapped in a specifically designed leather cover and kept in a cardboard box.Two silver plates are pasted on the upper and lower parts of the box.The upper plate features a crucifix and an inscription:Michael,Gabriel,Crucificxion,Most Reverend John Chrysostom'.The manuscript in the property of prince Shervashidze's household.


The manuscript known as the “Mokvi” Gospel was underwritten by Ephrem in 1,300 in Abkhazia by the request of Archbishop of Mokvi. The manuscript is accomplished on ivory parchment and is distinguished by the variety of miniatures drown on golden papers.
The manuscript is full of rare miniatures of XIII-XIV centuries. The characteristic of the manuscript is the miniature on the golden paper. The Gospel is reflected in 155 miniatures, 10 vaults and around 530 letters and initials that is the best example of art in Christian traditional culture.
The Mokvi Gospel -Gospel scene. thumbnail

The Mokvi Gospel–Fragment
 
The Mokvi Gospel–Fragment(Mary and Jesus)
              Bichvinta Cross (Episcopate),Georgian(Asomtavruli) inscriptions.
          Mokvi Cross (Episcopate), Silver Cross: The Crucifixion ~ composition: in the center of the Christ, the Virgin and St. Saint John Evangelist, above-the Archangel Michael. Georgian(Asomtavruli) inscription.

             Anakopia(New Atos)  Church.



         Anakopia(New Atos) Church second fasad.
By Juansher Juansheriani (Excerpt from The Georgian Chronic)Translated by Robert Bedrosian
In the first year of [Aderk's] reign, Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, Judea. News came to the Jews of Mts'xet'a that kings had come from Iran and captured Jerusalem; and the Jews mourned. But after two years they heard that [those kings] had not come to capture Jerusalem but to bring gifts to a child born of a virgin; and they rejoiced exceedingly. Thirty years later emissaries came to the northeast [saying that][23] the child to whom the mages had given gifts, having come to full maturity, preached that he was the son of God. "Now," they said, "whoever of our people are wise and learned in our faith, let them come forth and go [to find out about] this matter." Having heard this, Elios of Mts'xet'a [and] Lunkinos Karsnets'i went. They arrived on the day of the great Friday of the Lord's torment. And they brought back to Mts'xet'a the Lord's robe. [g29]

In the days of this same king Aderk, two of the Twelve Apostles, Andrew and Simon the Caananite, came to Abkhazia and Eger. Saint Simon was martyred in the city of Nikop's on the Greek border. Saint Andrew, having converted Eger, went on to Klarjk'. When Aderk heard of this, he grew angry. He sent and turned Eger from that [faith] back to the idols. And they hid the Cross and the image of the Cross. The ostikan of Klarjk' was blamed for peacefully setting Andrew free.


            The mokvi cathedral stands in Ochamchire District.it was built by King Leon (957-967) . The three -nave building has a row of chapels along the side naves,and three projecting apses on the eastern side. The middle (alter) apse has a horseshoe form inside , and is polygonal outside. The dome rests on four pillars in the centre of the building. The transition from the square to the circle of the dome drum is effected by means of pendentives. The polygonal dome drum is short.The building is faced with smoothly hewn stone , and has no ornaments on the walls.Thoughout the centuries the Mokvi Cathedral was the centre of literary artivity and learning.Manuscripts were copied ,old manuscripts were restored ,and other scholarly work was done.mokvi had a rich library . We have manuscripts of the library , thought whith we come to know the names of the Mokvi scholars: a beautifully illuminated manuscripts of the Gospel (1300), made under the guidance of Daniel Mokveli, copied and richly decorated by the monk Ephrem. Another interesting manuscript is a metaphrase ( 17th cent), copied by Neukratios Tsintsadze , by order of Bishop Ekvtime Sakvarelidze of Mokvi.Deacon Zebede and Writer Giorgi copied "Gulani " a collection of liturgical texts.
 The mokvi cathedral.
                                   The mokvi cathedral.Interior

               Village Mokwa .Georgian inscription Grigol Mokveli on a stone slab Mokvi                                                                                 church (XII century)..

Bedia Cathedral is a medieval Georgian Orthodox cathedral located in Agubedia, in the Tkvarcheli district of Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast.

Bedia Cathedral was originally built at the close of the 10th century and consecrated in 999 on the behest of King Bagrat II of Abkhazians, who would go on to become King of the Georgians as Bagrat III and who was interred at the church after his death. The extant edifices, however, date back to the 13th-14th centuries and include a domed cruciform church, a belltower resting upon the northern narthex and the ruins of an old palace. The southern wall of the main church contains fragments of contemporary murals, including the portraits of Bagrat II and the representatives of the Dadiani noble family of Georgia.


In the Catholicate of Abkhazia, Bedia was the centre of a diocese and the seat of a Bishop. In the 17th century, services were ceased, but resumed from the second half of the 19th century onwards.

                                     Drandna.
                              Dranda  Interior
                  Church of the Virgin Mary Lykhni

       Church of the Virgin Mary Lykhni second frogment.
       Church of the Virgin Mary Lykhni (Gudauta region of Abkhazia). Holy Trinity fresco with the Georgian           over-separately signed (XIV century).



      Bichvinta(Pitsunda) Cathedral is a Georgian Orthodox church located in Bichvinta, in the Gagra                    district .Pitsunda Cathedral was built at the end of the 10th century by King Bagrat III of Georgia.                   It served as the seat of the Georgian Orthodox Catholicate of Abkhazia until the late 16th century                 when Abkhazia came under the Ottoman hegemony.



       Bichvinta(Pitsunda) Cathedral-The cathedral contains vestiges of wall-painting from the 13th and the 16th       centuries.
  Bichvinta(Pitsunda) Cathedral-The cathedral contains vestiges of wall-painting from the 13th and the 16th       centuries.
  Bichvinta(Pitsunda) Cathedral-The cathedral contains vestiges of wall-painting from the 13th and the 16th       centuries.

        The Church of St. George of Ilori (is a Medieval, originally Georgian Orthodox Church in the village of Ilori, Abkhazia[notes The Church was built in the first quarter of the 11th century, AD, and represents one of the most important sites of western Georgian architecture. It is also considered one of the more significant religious locations of Medieval western Georgia. The building has a single-nave design. During its long history, the church underwent several important architectural modifications and was repaired by Levan II Dadiani in the 17th century, only to be burnt down by Ottoman Turks in 1736. The building was eventually restored again by the Princes of Odishi in the latter half of the same century.




The Besleti Bridge also known as the Queen Tamar Bridge is a medieval arched stone bridge at Sukhumi(Abkhazia region)
Located some 6 km from the city centre, the bridge spans the small mountain River Besletka, and dates back to the late 12th century. Thirty-five meters in overall length (the arch itself is 13.3 m) and eight meters high, this single-arch bridge is one of the most illustrative examples of the medieval bridge design popular during the reign of Tamar of Georgia (r. 1184-1213) who is traditionally credited to have commissioned the construction of the Beslet bridge. engraved cross and the Greek Τ have survived in the lower part of the left pillar of the bridge. A stone stele with Georgian inscriptions stood at the head of the bridge, but was lost during the War in Abkhazia early in the 1990s. In the vicinity of the bridge are the ruins of medieval combat towers, a testimony to strategic importance of the locale.

The Besleti Bridge .A contemporary inscription in the early Georgian Asomtavruli alphabet reads: 
"Christ the Lord, glorify in every possible way in both lives."

                        Georgian inscription in Tsebelda, Church of St. George (XII-XIII century).


          Village Chlou (Ochamchira region). Georgian inscription Eristavt- Eristavi Odishi
          (Mingrelia) and Mandaturtukhutset (roughly, the interior minister) Georgia Ozbeg Dadiani (mid XV                  century)..

             Ilori's St Giorgi icon,Zugdidi museum
                              Bichinta virgin mary icon          

                                              Engraved cup of Ilori Monastery

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