Bichvinta mosaic

The mosaic was discovered, in 1952, in a ruined 4th-century Byzantine three-nave basilica. Fragments of the mosaic pavements were preserved in the apse, the spacious narthex, and baptistery.^[1] The surviving fragments were removed, restored, and laid on display at the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi.^[2]

The Pityus mosaic seems to have been inspired by the earlier Roman prototypes^[3] and reveals close stylistic affinities with Syro-Palestinian mosaics.^[1] The closest regional counterpart is the near-contemporaneous mosaic of the Tsromi Church in eastern Georgia.^[4][3]

The mosaic is made of rectangular pieces of local colored stone, with cleanly trimmed brick lime solution. The background is orange. A stylized Greek inscription mentions the donor, Oreli. The central piece of the apse mosaic is a large Christogram, with Alpha and Omega, flanked and framed by interwoven Acanthus foliage. To the left of the monogram there is a depiction of a blossoming plant twig with plants and birds. The composition is embellished with various geometric ornamentation.^[5] The narthex mosaic contains several small areas depicting fishes and birds. The entrance was embellished with the image of a fountain with birds on either side. Other fragments depict stags and deer.^[5]