Abanoeti ( ka, აბანოეთი), formerly also known as Mikartsminda (მიქარწმინდა), is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

’s northern

Ambrolauri Municipality The Ambrolauri Municipality ( ka, ამბროლაურის მუნიციპალიტეტი, ''Ambrolauris Munits'ipaliteti'') is a self-governing subdivision in western Georgia. Its governing bodies are based in the city of Am ...

(

Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti ( ka, რაჭა-ლეჩხუმი და ქვემო სვანეთი, ''Rach’a-Lechkhumi da Kvemo Svaneti'') is a region (Mkhare) in northwestern Georgia with a population of 28,500 (2021), mak ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

) with a population 102 (2014). It is located about west of the municipal center

Ambrolauri Ambrolauri ( ka, ამბროლაური) is a city in Georgia, located in the northwestern part of the country, on both banks of the Rioni river, at an elevation of 550 m above sea level. The city serves as the seat of the Racha-Lechkhumi a ...

, at an elevation of above sea level on a hill overlooking the

Rioni River The Rioni ( ka, რიონი, ; , ) is the main river of western Georgia. It originates in the Caucasus Mountains, in the region of Racha and flows west to the Black Sea, entering it north of the city of Poti (near ancient Phasis). The city o ...

. It is part of the Bugeuli administrative community (თემი, temi) that includes 5 more nearby villages.

Mikartsminda Monastery

The historic name of Abanoeti is Mikartsminda (Georgian: ka, მიქარწმინდა), named after a 10th-century monastery that stood once here. Named after

Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

, the monastery is one of the oldest monuments of Georgian architecture. Of the monastery itself, however, only the foundation remains. On the once walled site is currently the St. Michael Archangel Church, which also originally dates from the 10th century. This was rebuilt in the 18th century, and was one of the largest

Hall church A hall church is a church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was invented in the mid-19th century by Wilhelm Lübke, a pioneering German art historian. In contrast to an archi ...

es in

Racha Racha (also Račha, , ''Račʼa'') is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia's current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and ...

. The old church was distinguished, according to historiography, for its unique frescoes and shrines. The current church was last restored in 2012.

Demographics

According to the 2014 census, Abanoeti had a population of 102 at that time, and all are ethnic Georgians.

References

{{Reflist Populated places in Ambrolauri Municipality