Saint Constantine Church in Tedzisi: Cyclopean Masonry

When traveling to Georgia, everyone starts searching for "the most beautiful places in Georgia" and "what to see in Georgia."

And both of these lists can be supplemented by Tejisi Aia Konstantini, or, in other words, the Church of St. Constantine.

Make a note of where to look for it.

Location: Kvemo Kartli Region, Tsalka Municipality, Tejisi village.

At first glance, it's obvious that the church dates back to the Middle Ages. This is primarily revealed by the fence made of megalithic stones. Judging by everything, each of these boulders was carefully trimmed and shaped into a roughly square shape. It's fascinating how the builders managed to move each of these boulders. It's simply impossible for one, or even several, ordinary people to do so.

But if you put aside the technical aspects, you might catch yourself thinking that this construction method is reminiscent of a miniature Stonehenge.

Inside the fence is a small stone church. Apparently, after some time, the local clergy needed additional space and built an extension to the south of the church. Unfortunately, it has not survived in its entirety. Only the walls remain.

Of course, with this style, the temple won't be rich in decorative elements, and the most you'll find here is a three-dimensional cross carved into the wall at the entrance.

Inside, the entire interior is a 3.8-meter-tall menhir with a cross depicted on it. Menhir, translated from Celtic, means "long stone," meaning a tall, wild, worked stone.

Also on the temple grounds are traces of a cromlech—several vertically placed, oblong stones arranged in concentric circles.

In addition, there are the ruins of cyclopean buildings. This is the name given to structures constructed from hewn stone boulders, fitted together without mortar.

Judging by everything, this is likely the site of a fairly large religious center.

Incidentally, if you reach the village itself, there's another church with a megalithic enclosure.

Georgia's landmarks, as you can see, can be surprising. Here you can see not only the familiar architecture from postcards, but also what you don’t expect.