Armazi of Mtskheta

Armazi of Mtskheta is a monastery complex located 1.5 kilometers from Mtskheta in Armaziskhevi. The main part of the complex is a grand hall church dedicated to the Mother of God. Today, however, only the ruins remain. From the west, it has a gate with an arrowhead-shaped dome. From the north, the building has an Egyptian gate. According to the inscription (now displayed in the Georgian National Museum) on top of it, the church was built between 1150 and 1178. On the west side, there is a small crypt built from cobblestone and various stone shards. The church itself was constructed with large bricks with thin stone slabs. This building differs from other hall churches of that time by having a pointed, semi-circle apse.

The vault leans on a main dome supported by two pilasters. The church interior and the western gate used to be covered by frescos. According to the remaining fragments, the frescos were made around the time of construction, i.e., in the 12th century. The belltower is located east of the church and was built between the 16th and 17th centuries. There are also medieval ruins of a wall and monastic cells.

Located half a kilometer above the monastery, on the steep cliff, are the remains of an old fort. According to Vakhushti Batonishvili, Kartlos - the legendary Georgian figure, built this fort. Remains of the wall and the tower date back to the 13th-14th centuries. The fort, however, was constructed on the site of another, older building.

Literature: Шмерлинг Р., Долидзе В., Барнавели Т., Окрестности Тбилиси. Архитектурный путеводитель, Тб., 1960.