The church ruins near Darbazi village in Bolnisi Municipality lie on the right bank of the Geta river, on one of the rocky ridges above the gorge. The building is partly cut into the rock, and that is its main feature.
The rock itself serves as the north wall of the church: the profiled side of the apse and the single step pilaster of the hall are both hewn into it. The other walls are laid of local hewn stone of almost equal size. The hall runs about nine metres long and four wide, and the walls survive to a little over two metres.
The side structures are now ruined both inside and on the facades. Only three courses of masonry survive in the lower part of the east sanctuary wall, and they show how strictly the horizontal line was kept during construction. There were two entrances, on the west and south, and the apse takes the form of a deep semicircle. Sources assign the building to the early Middle Ages.
💡 Tip
- The rock itself serves as the north wall of the church
- The apse and the pilaster are hewn into the rock massif
- Three surviving courses show the strict horizontal line
🚗 Getting there
- Bolnisi Municipality, Kvemo Kartli
- The Build Route button will take you to the spot
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