The Mariamtsminda church stands in Ruispiri village in Telavi Municipality and is also known as Ninotsminda. The hall of about seven metres by five and a half is laid of cobble, with large irregular fragments set into the outer walls here and there, and the masonry is uneven.
The single entrance leads in from a narthex added on the west, almost as deep as the hall itself. Outside the opening is arched, inside it is covered by a straight lintel. Two rectangular windows gave the light: one in the apse, the other in the narthex wall just above the entrance.
The deep semicircular apse holds three small rectangular niches, two on the north side and one on the south, and a cubic altar table adjoins the wall beneath the window. The apse is covered by a conch. The building is damaged: the vault has collapsed along with most of the corners and the top of the gable, and facing stones have fallen from the facades in places.
💡 Tip
- The narthex is almost as deep as the hall itself
- A cubic altar table beneath the apse window
- Also known by a second name, Ninotsminda
🚗 Getting there
- Ruispiri village, Telavi Municipality, Kakheti
- The Build Route button will take you to the spot
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