North Church (russian: Северный Зеленчукский храм), is an early 10th-century
Alanian church located in
Arkhyz
Arkhyz (also Nizhny Arkhyz russian: Архыз; krc, Ырхыз, ''Irxız''; "mudflows") is a village in the valley of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River, in the Republic of Karachay–Cherkessia, Greater Caucasus, Russia, about 70 km inland fro ...
(russian: Архыз), a mountainous region of
Karachay-Cherkessia
The Karachay-Cherkess Republic (russian: Карача́ево-Черке́сская Респу́блика, ''Karachayevo-Cherkesskaya Respublika''; krc, Къарачай-Черкес Республика, ''Qaraçay-Çerkes Respublika''; Cir ...
.
History
North Church served as the Cathedral of the
Alanian Empire during the 10th -13th centuries. The church was constructed using sandstone. The plan has the shape of a cross. The length of the church without
narthex
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...
is 21 meters.
Some of the frescoes of the late 19th century were painted by DM Strukov. Fragments of ancient plaster, already without the paint layer, have been preserved during the restoration of the walls of the church. According to v. a. Kuznetsov North Church was perhaps constructed from 914 to 916 and was dedicated to St. Nicholas the miracle worker. Inside the church are an ancient baptistery, altar, and cemetery near the south wall.
See also
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Zelenchuksky Churches The Zelenchuksky Churches or, Lower-Arkhyz Churches are located in an archaeological preserve extending for four kilometers around the ruins of Nizhnearkhyzskoe gorodishche near Arkhyz, Karachay–Cherkessia, Russian Federation. The site is tentativ ...
*
Senty Church
Senty Church (russian: Сентинский храм) is a Christian church built in 965 in the territory of modern Karachay-Cherkessia (Russian Federation). It is situated on the left bank of the Teberda River, near the village of Nizhnyaya Teb ...
*
Shoana Church
The Shoana church (russian: Шоанинский храм, os, Суаны Уастырджы) is a Christian church that belongs to the historical Alanian Diocese. The church was built at the end of the tenth century, and is located on the terri ...
History of Karachay-Cherkessia
Churches in Karachay-Cherkessia
10th-century churches in Russia
Medieval Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Russia
Eastern Orthodox cathedrals
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