There is not one church here but two: the name stands in the plural and the buildings carry different dedications. The first, to Queen Tamar, is special for Georgia: the twelfth-century ruler was canonised by the church and a whole run of newer churches carries her name. The second, to the Myrrhbearing Women, is noticeably rarer.
The pairing turns out to be both unusual and internally logical: both commemorations are of women, and together they form a single thread of meaning. Orpiri lies in the Imeretian foothills north-west of Kutaisi, and this is another church of the village after the Saint George one. The century of the buildings is not established.
The parish is rural and services are infrequent. Dress modestly, women wear a headscarf. Both buildings can be seen in a few minutes, as they stand side by side.
📜 Facts
- Two buildings with different dedications in one place
- The Imeretian foothills north-west of Kutaisi, the village of Orpiri
- Queen Tamar is canonised, and churches of her name in Georgia are mostly recent
🚗 Getting there
- Landmark - the village of Orpiri in the Imeretian foothills, north-west of Kutaisi
- A route is built with the Build Route button
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