AMGEENRU

Samshvilde Three-nave Basilica

14.08.2013 15:21

The basilica is located in the east section of ruined town Samshvilde – in citadel, near the wall with towers (coordinates: 41.30239 44.301143).

Average size church built of cracked dark-colored Stone is divided into three naves by two pairs of round columns. The arches between the columns have either arrow-shaped or egg-shaped form. These arches, like the columns and the corners of the church are built of more or less well-cut basalt. In the altar apse a window, widening inside, is cut, and on the side walls small niches, one per each, are arranged. Narrow side naves end with structures with apses in the east, lighted with small Windows, one per each. West, south and north walls of the central nave have one window each. The only door of the church is arranged in the south wall. The vault of central nave is represented by three joining arches, the southern of which delimits the altar apse conch. Round columns made of cylindrical stones and their profiling base-capital attract attention as soon as one enters the church.

In front of the door of north pastophorium of the church, in the thickness of the north wall, right-angled niche is built, where baptismal Font is arranged. The niche of baptistery opens with sharply outlined and cleanly cut tuff arch. Obviously, this structure doesn’t refer to the time of construction of the church and it was installed in the wall later. This baptismal Font is a characteristic element of monophysite baptismal ritual. It was made in this basilica either in the end of X c. or in the beginning of the XI c., after Samshvilde became the capital city of Armenian Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget.

There is no date inscription on Samshvilde basilica, and architectural forms and building techniques, as well as the proportions of the structure, shape of nave-dividing columns and decorations of base and capitals indicate to local Georgian building traditions of IX-X c.c., and more likely – beginning of the X c.