The church of the Prophet Elijah is the working Orthodox church of the settlement of Gulripshi south of Sokhumi. It stands on a rise not far from the coast, amid private houses, and serves as the spiritual centre for the settlement and the surrounding villages.
There are no tourist crowds here, and that is rather a virtue: before you is the ordinary parish life of an Abkhazian settlement as it is. The place is alive and cared for: people come for services, christenings and the patronal feast, Elijah’s Day on the second of August, when the settlement gathers by the church most fully.
A guest is met kindly, and the rules are simple: modest dress, a headscarf for women, silence during worship. On Elijah’s Day the crowd is noticeably larger: for a quiet visit choose a weekday, and after the visit it is easy to walk down to the sea.
⛪ On site
- A working Orthodox church dedicated to the Prophet Elijah
- A rise in Gulripshi, not far from the coast
- The patronal feast: Elijah’s Day, the second of August
🚗 Getting there
- Landmark - Gulripshi on the highway south of Sokhumi; about eleven kilometres to the city
- For navigation tap Build Route
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