Tbeti Monastery
Medieval Georgian Orthodox monastery
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The Monastery of the Virgin Mary of Tbeti is a ruined medieval Georgian Orthodox monastery.[1][2] It was built in the historical territory of Georgia, and is now found in Turkey. It is located on the banks of the Imerkhevi river, and is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away from the present-day city of Şavşat. The Tbeti Monastery was an important cultural and literary center of medieval Georgia, where many hagiographic works were written by the monks living in the monastery.[2][3] The monastery was made up of several buildings, of which only the ruins of the main temple remain to this day. A Muslim mosque was also operated within the temple grounds, until the end of the 19th century.[4][1]
| |
 Interactive map of Tbeti Monastery | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Georgian Orthodox |
| Dedicated to | Virgin Mary |
| Site | |
| Location |  Turkey |
History
Construction
The first church of Tbeti was constructed in the early 10th century by Ashot Kukhi, a Georgian Bagratid prince.[5] The cathedral was of cross-domed architectural type. It is not clear whether the cathedral was initially dedicated to Saint George or to the Virgin Mary.[5]
The second construction occurred after the founding of the original cathedral by Ashot Kukhi in 918 AD. The church was rebuilt in 960 AD with eight segments in the form of an octagon. This is considered as the second stage of the construction of the monastery.[6] There are only some remains of the eight-nave church left, as it was quickly replaced by the third church.
At the end of the 10th century, the third construction was carried out in the church. As a result, a new, domed church was erected in place of the eight-nave church.[6] It is currently unknown whether this construction was preceded by the destruction of the old church or whether the old church was reconstructed during the construction of the new church in order to expand the space. This church is the third among the churches of Tbeti, despite significant damage and subsequent numerous reconstructions, its basic forms have been preserved to this day.[1]
The fourth construction was carried out in the 11th century. It aimed to increase the volume of the church and decorate the facades more richly.[6]
The fifth construction took place in the 13th century. During this period, the southern wing of the church was restored.
The sixth construction work in the Tbeti Cathedral was carried out in the 14th century. During this construction, the dome was restored.[6] The dome no longer exists today, but is visible in the photographs of A. Pavlinov and Nikolai Marr[7]
Frescoes
The interior of the cathedral was frescoed. Fragments of the image of the enthroned Savior can still be distinguished in the upper register of the apse of the altar. Angels and cherubims are depicted on both sides of it. In the middle register of the apse, on either side of the window, the Holy Mother of God and Saint John the Baptist were depicted, followed by the apostles.[7][a]
Later history
The monastery was converted into a mosque by the locals, until the end of the 19th century.[4] In 1961, the cathedral was badly damaged by an explosion,[8] which destroyed the dome and the upper parts of the arms of the church building.
Other buildings of the monastery
Today, no other buildings survive on the territory of the Tbeti Monastery, except for the ruins of the main temple. Information about other buildings is provided by records, sketches, drawings and a small number of photographs, such as by Pavlinov.
Bell tower
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The Tbeti bell tower was located about 10 metres (33 ft) southwest of the Tbeti temple. The bell tower is depicted on Giorgi Kazbegi's drawing.[9] The date of the demolition of the bell tower has occurred on c. 1887 .[10]
Bell tower inscriptions
Two inscriptions are known from the Tbeti bell tower.[7] Nikolai Marr discovered one of these inscriptions in the house of one of the villagers, where it was placed in a the heads of several figures have survived stove along with other stones taken from the ruins of the bell tower. The upper three lines of the seven-line inscription were completely torn off, along with the fourth and the beginning of the seventh lines . The rest (from the fourth line) read as follows:[7]
- ...R mos(a)vsa
- ...itos mtbev
- ...q(o)r(o)nik(o)nsa sie
This fragment confirmed that the inscription is from the bell tower and the date of its construction was established in 1527.[7] Nikolai Marr saw another better preserved inscription, which, according to local residents, was also removed from the ruins of the bell tower. It read:[7]
- Christ is above this,
- the
- one who is
Nikolai Marr considered this inscription to be a tombstone.[7]
Stele
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A large stone stele stood to the southeast of the temple. The stele was of 4.25-meter height and was made of reddish volcanic stone. It had an octagonal shape and narrowed towards the top. It was seen in good condition by Pr. Uvarova and A. Pavlinov.[7] Nikolai Marr found that the stele had already fallen and was broken in two and founded that both fragments are missing. The pedestal of the stele, which was still in place during Nikolai Marr's trip, is also not visible.[7]
Tomb of the Mother of God
The existence of a so-called Tomb of the Mother of God, on the territory of the Tbeti monastery is only an assumption and is based on a heavily damaged six-line large slab found by Nikolai Marr a few meters away from the temple.[7][11]
Gallery
- Pavlinov's photographs taken in 1888
Southern facade
Tbeti Temple in 1888
Eastern facade
Column of the temple
An altar painting
A column of the Temple
The windows of the southern facade of the temple
Interior
Northern facade
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See also
Notes
- The heads of several figures have survived.