Several kilometers from Vardzia there are the ruins of the Kumurdo episcopal church located on a mountain slope. It is well-known for being the first historical monument created in the 1 st century AD. However, a lot of inscriptions are still found on the temple walls. One of them says that the temple foundation was laid “with the Divine help” during the rule of tsar Leon – the tsar of Abkhazia – in 964. Possibly, during this period the temple was seriously restored (and Dzhavakhetia was a part of Abkhazian kingdom in the 10 th – 11 th centuries). Other inscriptions on the walls tell about the construction of the southern gallery under Bagrat IV rule (1027-1072), and about the temple reconstruction in the 16 th century. The church roof, the drum-type dome and the entrance are badly destroyed. But the cruciform facade as well as the wall with arch niches (similar to Oriental mosques) o its right have survived.
|
