![The Tsminda Sameba church, Kazbegi (3)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/The_Tsminda_Sameba_church%2C_Kazbegi_%283%29.jpg)
Gergeti Trinity Church ( - ''Tsminda Sameba'') is a popular name for Holy Trinity Church near the village of
Stepantsminda
Stepantsminda ( ka, სტეფანწმინდა; formerly Kazbegi, ), is a townlet in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region of north-eastern Georgia. Historically and ethnographically, the town is part of the Khevi province. It is the center of t ...
in
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 ...
. The church is situated on the right bank of the river Chkheri (the left tributary of the river
Terek), at an elevation of 2170 meters (7120 feet), under
Mount Kazbek
Mount Kazbek or Mount Kazbegi is a dormant stratovolcano and one of the major mountains of the Caucasus, located on the Russian-Georgian border - in Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia's Kazbegi District.
At 5,034 m (16,515 ft) high, it ...
.
History
The Gergeti Trinity Church was built in the 14th century by an unknown architect, and is the only cross-cupola church in
Khevi
Khevi ( ka, ხევი) is a small historical-geographic area in northeastern Georgia. It is included in the modern-day Kazbegi district, Mtskheta-Mtianeti region (mkhare). Located on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus mountains, it c ...
province. The separate belltower dates from the same period as the church itself, but built somewhat later. Its isolated location on top of a steep mountain surrounded by the vastness of nature has made it a symbol for Georgia. The 18th century Georgian author
Vakhushti Batonishvili wrote that in times of danger, precious relics from
Mtskheta
Mtskheta ( ka, მცხეთა, tr ) is a city in Mtskheta-Mtianeti province of Georgia. It is one of the oldest cities in Georgia as well as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World. Itis located approximately north of T ...
, including
Saint Nino's Cross were brought here for safekeeping. During the
Soviet era
The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...
, all religious services were prohibited, but the church remained a popular tourist destination. The church is now an active establishment of the
.
The church is a popular waypoint for
trekkers in the area, and can be reached by a steep 1.5 hour climb up the mountain.
By December 2018 a paved/tarmac road has been laid up to the base of the church, accessible by any normal car. Since 2021, a landslide has prevented paved road access, and a unpaved road (requiring a 4WD) has been used instead.
Architecture
The iconic view of the church and
Mount Kazbek
Mount Kazbek or Mount Kazbegi is a dormant stratovolcano and one of the major mountains of the Caucasus, located on the Russian-Georgian border - in Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia's Kazbegi District.
At 5,034 m (16,515 ft) high, it ...
is one of the best examples of harmonic combination of architecture and the landscape, so typical for the
architecture of Georgia ''For the unrelated style that emerged in the English-speaking world during the reigns of successive kings George, see Georgian architecture.''
The architecture of Georgia refers to the styles of architecture found in Georgia. The country is ex ...
.
[Закарая, П. (1983) Памятники Восточной Грузии. Искусство, Москва, 376 с. akaraya, P. Monuments of Eastern GeorgiaIn Russian)] The church ensamble includes the church itself, the belltower and the surrounding wall. The church is a
cross-in-square
A cross-in-square or crossed-dome floor plan, plan was the dominant architectural form of middle- and late-period Byzantine Empire, Byzantine church architecture, churches. It featured a square centre with an internal structure shaped like a cross ...
temple with three rectangular and one rounded (containing the
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
) arms, and two entrances, from the south and from the west. Each arm has a window. Additional five windows of the
tholobate
In architecture, a tholobate (from el, θολοβάτης, tholobates, dome pedestal) or drum is the upright part of a building on which a dome is raised. It is generally in the shape of a cylinder or a polygonal prism.
In the earlier Byzanti ...
provide sufficient illumination. The tholobate is rather stumpy, slightly narrowing in the upper part. The facade is clad in dark-grey stone. Only traces of the original murals remain.
The outside decorations can essentially be found only around the doors and windows. The northern wall is the most simply decorated one: short-armed cross above and rounded ornamented stones below the narrow window. The southern wall, in addition to the cross, has ornamented quadrangles and an arch above the window. The western wall is rather similar, but with simple ornamentation of the window. Rather complex composition is found on the eastern wall. Its window has a quadrangular frame and a large cross above it. The cross itself has quadrangles at the base of each arm. In addition to the central window, there is a rounded window to left and a square window to the right. Both southern and western
portals have rich decorations around the doors: the
astragal
An astragal is a moulding profile composed of a half-round surface surrounded by two flat planes ( fillets). An astragal is sometimes referred to as a miniature torus. It can be an architectural element used at the top or base of a column, b ...
, ornamented stripe,
rosettes and quadrangles. Each of the ten windows of the dome also has an arch frame, made of astragal.
The belltower, standing to the south from the church, is composed of the qubic base and the
belfry above it. The base also serves as the entrances to the church ensamble. The walls have various small ornamentation, as well as a figure of an unknown person on the western side.
References
*Rosen, Roger. ''Georgia: A Sovereign Country of the Caucasus.'' Odyssey Publications: Hong Kong, 1999.
http://agenda.ge/en/news/2018/2536
External links
Georgian government site
{{Georgian Churches
Churches in Georgia (country)
Religious sites in Georgia (country)
14th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings
Buildings and structures in Mtskheta-Mtianeti