Temple of the Archangels in Photreri, Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti, Georgia

In the heart of picturesque Svaneti, in the municipality of Mestia, is located the majestic Photrera Church of the Archangels, which has been standing for more than a thousand years. This temple, with its roots in the distant past, is a true embodiment of the religious and architectural mastery of the 10th century.

Photrera Church is a fine example of the hall type of architecture, surrounded by extensions on three sides. The eye is drawn by the semicircular protruding apse at the eastern end of the hall, richly decorated on the outside and divided inside by a painted iconostasis.

Although time has not been kind to the frescoes, transforming them into damaged evidence of the past, the interior of the church is still shrouded in an atmosphere of spiritual grandeur. A single arched window, carved in the middle face of the apse, lets in light, illuminating ancient forged and painted icons belonging to the period of the developed Middle Ages.

The facades of the temple are simple, but in their modest beauty you can catch sophisticated decorative elements, such as niches and windows decorated with shafts. An antique wooden door, majestically decorated with carvings, leads inside this architectural marvel, standing on a two-stage plinth.

Photrera Church of the Archangels is not only a historical artifact, but also a place where you can feel the greatness of the ancient Georgian religious culture. For those seeking solitude and inspiration surrounded by centuries of history and architectural beauty, this place is definitely worth a visit.