Biniskhevi Armenian Complex

Biniskhevi Complex is located in 7 km west from Shaumiani village, on the slope of forest-covered mountain (coordinates: 41.202551 44.420735). In the center of high fencing wall, fortified with abutments, two-storey structure – hall church is erected, with bell tower arbour on the top. It is built of crushed wine-colored rock; the rims of door and window openings, arbour columns, cornices are of clean-cut yellow tuff. The door of hall church (dimensions 7,00 X 5,90 m) on the first floor is cut in the west wall, two windows are in the east and west walls. There are two niches in semi-circular apse of the altar, there the floor was elevated by 60 cm. In the north wall, near altar, baptistery is arranged with right-angled baptismal font in it. In the south wall of the church, adjacent to the apse, there is a hole for ascending o n the second floor; ladder was used to ascend there. The second floor is a simple cross layout vaulted space,, in the center of which under-dome square is created. It supports ten-columned arbour. The arms of the cross are covered with double-sloped roof. Wide double-arched windows are cut in all the four arms. The square transforms into a circle through pendatives. The arbour, built of flat bricks and roofed with bricks, is supported by ten columns, decorated with profiled capitals and thick bases. The arches between the columns are arrow-shaped.

The west façade of the Binadzor church and bell tower is remarkable for its abundant decorations. Décor is basically focused around the door. Richly decorated semicircular tympan is placed above the door. It is slightly indenting from the wall surface and creates shallow arched niche, adjoining with right-angled portal. Bid rose ornament is cut in the tympan center, surrounded by stylized Armenian capital letters like curving. Similar carvings could be seen on many architectural monuments of Armenia.

Binadzor, structurally, is an example of Armenian architecture, although the unity of crushed rock masonry and cut stone structures, as well as use of bricks for construction indicates the building art of Kvemo Kartli.

Binadzori wall is a complex fortification structure. The church and bell tower are surrounded by rectangular wall, in the east and west walls of which vaulted entrances is constructed. The entrances are adjoining with isolated rooms, one by each. From the east, north and west, this wall has another wall with loop-holes, with round openings in the corners.

Year (1112 (1663)) can be seen in the corner of big construction inscription above the entrance to the church; it is repeated in the basic part of the inscription, creating vault:

In 1112 (1663) it was build on Jesus’ will by Hovanes the priest”.