Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral

Bolnisi, Georgia

Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral is a Georgian Orthodox basilica was built in 478–493. It is the oldest extant church building in Georgia. Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral is known for its Georgian Bolnisi inscriptions. These are one of the oldest historical documents of the Georgian alphabet.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 478-493 AD
Category: Religious sites in Georgia

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Tiniko Khanjaliashvili (5 months ago)
A masterpiece of 5th century
Nana Kartvelishvili (9 months ago)
You can find the oldest Georgian inscription here
C E Spiess (2 years ago)
Ancient green stone church is said to be the oldest church in Georgia. Church building was locked when we arrived but an elderly church lady kindly opened the doors. The church has an abundance of icons inside, and very beautiful ancient looking frescos of saints on the apse opposite of entry. If you climb up the stairs of the tower located to the right when you enter the churchyard I wouldn't recommend entering the room at the top as the floor looked unstable. The village and site is definitely worth visiting! I'm sure that I would have learned a lot more is I could read and understand Georgian!
Yorgi Maxnias (2 years ago)
First orthodox church ever build in georgia,they have few unique & miraculous paintings nowhere else to be found, Also the place that the first record of archaic georgian language was discovered!
Anna Kochua (2 years ago)
The most emotional place ❤️
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.