The Ailaga-Abiqu church (Georgian: აილაგა-აბიყუს ეკლესია, Abkhaz: Ауахәама «Аилага-абыҟә») is a ruined medieval Eastern Orthodox church in Abkhazia, an entity in the South Caucasus with a disputed political status. It is located at the village of Bombora, on the Black Sea coast, 5 km west of the town of Gudauta.[2]
| Ailaga-Abiqu church აილაგა-აბიყუს ეკლესია (in Georgian) Ауахәама «Аилага-абыҟә» (in Abkhaz) | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Georgian Orthodox |
| Province | Abkhazia[1] |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | ruins |
| Location | |
| Location |  Bombora, Gudauta Municipality, Abkhazia, Georgia |
  Shown within Abkhazia  Ailaga-Abiqu church (Georgia) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 43°6′22″N 40°33′50″E / 43.10611°N 40.56389°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Completed | 10th century |
History edit
Ailaga-Abiqu is a complex of three ruined churches, which, based on their architectural features, can be dated to the period of the 8th-10th century. The original name of the church is unknown and there are no historical records on its construction. The current name is a local Abkhaz popular designation, literally meaning "a tangled tower."[3] The largest—and best preserved—of the three churches is a northern one. Its extant northern wall rises up to 6.8 metres. It is a single-nave design with a pentahedral apse—which is of the same width as the nave—and a narrow narthex attached to the west. Remnants of two pairs of pilasters in the longitudinal walls indicate that the church was vaulted. The walls were faced with limestone and sandstone slabs. The only survived adornment is a Christian cross carved in relief on the southern entrance wall. The two closely adjacent smaller churches were apparently built later in the 10th or 11th century. One of these has two levels, of which only the lower one survives. It might have served as a burial chamber for local rulers.[4]
References edit
- ^ The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
- ^ Ailaga-Abiku Church in Bombora village Historical monuments of Abkhazia — Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
- ^ Kapanadze, Salome, ed. (2007). Georgian Cultural Heritage. Book1. Abkhazeti. Tbilisi: Ministry of Education and Culture of Abkhazia. p. 34.
- ^ Khrushkova, Liudmila G. (2018). Восточное Причерноморье в византийскую эпоху. История. Архитектура. Археология [The East Coast of the Black Sea in the Byzantine era. History. Architecture. Archaeology] (in Russian). Kalininigrad – Moscow: ROS-DOAFK. pp. 169–175. ISBN 978-5-6040479-8-9.
External links edit
- Ailaga-Abiqu church. Historical monuments of Abkhazia — Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
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