The name of the church reads as the cross of the fortress: tsikhe is a fortress, jvari a cross. It points to a place rather than to a dedication: no saint name is given for the church, and in the neighbourhood it is known by exactly this name.
Khorbalo lies in the foothills of the Akhmeta municipality, five kilometres north-west of Akhmeta itself, at the turning of the roads leading into the mountain part of the region. To the north begins the Pankisi gorge, reached by a separate road along the Alazani river.
No regular services are held here and the site can be approached at any time. Its closeness to Akhmeta makes the detour short, and the road to the village is paved almost all the way. The usual rules apply: quiet, covered shoulders and knees, and care with the old masonry.
📍 In brief
- Tsikhisjvari reads as the cross of the fortress and points to a place
- Foothills five kilometres north-west of Akhmeta
- The Pankisi gorge begins to the north, with its own road along the Alazani
🚗 Getting there
- Landmark: Khorbalo village, Akhmeta municipality; about five kilometres to Akhmeta
- A route is built with the Build Route button
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