St. Teodore Church of Samshvilde Ruined Town

Ruined town Samshvilde is located in Tetritskaro municipality, 7 km south from Tetritskaro. It covers vast territory of triangular shape, created naturally at the confluence of two rivers – Khrami and Chivchavi (coordinates: 41.302486 44.302329). Samshvilde is ancient Georgian town, information about it is preserved by Leonti Mroveli, Juansher, “Matiane Kartlisa” (“Kartli Chronicles”). It was established by the Georgian’s eponym Kartlos, and in III c. B.C. King Parnavaz appointed one of the Eristavis there, who was controlling the whole Kvemo Kartli. According to Juansher, Vakhtang Gorgasali’s mother built a church here. At the end of the IX c. Samshvilde was conquered by Armenian Bagratuns, and by the end of the X c. when Armenian Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget was formed on the territory of Kvemo Kartli, Samshvilde became the capital of this Kingdom. In 1065 King Bagrat IV took Samshvilde away from Tashir-Dzoraget’s King Kvirike and joined it back to Georgia.

Citadel is located in the east part of the ruined town, where the main building is badly ruined domed church of Sioni. In 70 m east from Sioni there is Saint Tevdore’s hall church. This building with collapsed vault was built of crushed stones and lime-mixture. Small eukterion (chapel) adjoins to it from the north. Clean-cut yellow stones could be seen in wall masonry.

St. Tevdore’s church was built in first quarter of the XII c., during the reign of King David Agmashenebeli (1089- 1125). More exactly, this church should be built after liberation of Samshvilde town from Turk-Seljuqs (1110) but before David Agmashenebeli’s death (1125), as David is mentioned as King in badly damaged wall-painted inscription in the arch of the west door of the church.

Badly damaged fragments of frescos of the XII c. are preserved in the interior of the church; Armenian-made khachkar (stone cross) is taken to the altar at later time.