The church of Saint George at Zemo Mskhalgori in Lagodekhi Municipality is a two nave basilica that belonged to a monastic complex. By the available account the building was raised in the 6th and 7th centuries, rebuilt twice in the 10th and destroyed in the 11th, and these lands historically belonged to Hereti.
The basilica is laid of rubble stone on lime mortar, and the north wall is sunk almost a metre into the ground. The entrances are made in the south and west walls, with the west door raised two steps above the floor of the hall. On the east the hall ends in a semicircular apse widened during the rebuilding of the 10th century, which also brought a platform, a raised sanctuary floor and a brick lintel.
A rectangular stone altar table stands in the centre of the sanctuary, and another, for an icon, is set before the altar in the north corner. A wide high step runs along the west and south walls, and a round stone pedestal for a cross, plastered with lime, stands in the middle of the hall. The north nave has no apse and opens only from the main hall, through an arch on a rectangular support. A later gallery adjoins the church from the south and once opened outwards through a double arch.
💡 Tip
- A two nave basilica of a monastic complex
- The 10th century rebuilding shows in the apse and the brick lintel
- A round stone pedestal for a cross in the middle of the hall
🚗 Getting there
- Zemo Mskhalgori village, Lagodekhi Municipality, Kakheti
- The Build Route button will take you to the spot
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