Shemokmedi Monastery Complex, medieval monastery, Gurieli Tomb

Shemokmedi Monastery He was famous in Georgia for his wealth: there was a large book depository, there were expensive icons and church items. Most of these items were of local origin, and some were brought from other parts of Georgia, mainly from Samtskhe-Saatabago.

The Shemokmedi monastery complex is located on a low mountain in Guria, on the left bank of the Bzhuzhi River, 8 km south-east of Ozurgeti, in the village of Shemokmedi. The monastery is the ancestral tomb of the Gurieli family and local bishops.

The church in Shemokmedi was built in the Middle Ages as a chapel and tomb for the specific rulers of Guria (Gurieli). The church has been rebuilt many times. Initially, according to art historians, it was a single-nave church, and the side aisles were added later, turning it into a basilica. Probably, at the same time, the walls were updated, having faced them in a checkerboard pattern with colored stones. The temple has two entrances in the eastern part: a portal placed in the center, and to the right of it, in the corner of the cathedral, there are arched doors.

Wall paintings of the XVII-XVIII centuries, as well as Georgian and Greek inscriptions on frescoes have been preserved in the interior. The complex consists of three architectural monuments: a medieval basilica, a domed church "Zarzma" attached to it and a bell tower of the XVI century, restored in 1831. There are also monastic buildings for various purposes.

The Transfiguration Church "Zarzma" is adjacent to the Church of the Savior on the south side. Vakhtang I Gurieli built the Transfiguration Church in the XVI century on the occasion of bringing the icon "Transfiguration" from the Zarzma monastery. (hence the name of the church "Zarzma"). There is a legend about the construction of a church here: after the Turks invaded Zarzma, icons and church treasures were tied to a bull, and they had to leave it where the bull would stop. He stayed in Shemokmedi. Therefore, the Transfiguration Church was erected near the Spasskaya Church.

Over the centuries, the Shemokmedi monastery complex has been destroyed and ruined many times. Currently, there is an episcopal see and a monastery here.