The church of Simon the Canaanite is a white-stone church of the ninth to tenth centuries at the mouth of the Psyrtskha gorge and one of the main holy places of New Athos. By tradition, the church stands over the resting place of the Apostle Simon the Canaanite, who preached in these lands, and it is around this tradition that the local pilgrimage route took shape over the centuries.
It is one of the oldest surviving buildings of Abkhazia: a compact church built to a human scale, whose simple architecture impresses more than many grand cathedrals. From the church a path leads up the gorge to the apostle’s grotto and the waterfall on the Psyrtskha: the church, the grotto and the water fold into one complete walking route.
Pilgrims and travellers move here in one flow, and the rules are shared: modest dress, quiet by the walls, respect for those praying. It is wise to allow half a day for the whole gorge: haste takes away the best of this place.
⛪ For pilgrims
- A building of the ninth to tenth centuries, among the oldest in Abkhazia
- The mouth of the Psyrtskha gorge, New Athos
- The tradition of the resting place of the Apostle Simon the Canaanite
🚗 Getting there
- Landmark - Psyrtskha station in New Athos; the church is at the gorge entrance
- A route is built with the Build Route button
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