Anchiskhati Church

Anchiskhati Church is a masterpiece of Georgian architecture dedicated to the Mother of God.

It is located on the right bank of the Mtkvari river in the Kala district of Tbilisi. Originally, the church was founded in the early 6th century by Dachi, son of King Vakhtang I Gorgasali. The original name of the church is not known. However, in the 17th century, it was referred to as the "Anchiskhati Church". It was named after the Ancha Icon of the Savior which relocated to Tbilisi from the Ancha Monastery by Beka Opizari in the 12th century.

Anchiskhati is the oldest three-nave basilica church in Tbilisi. The original part of the building was constructed of cut stone. However, the upper part of the walls and all interior columns were made of brick (17th^-century restoration). Its history between construction and the 17th century is unknown.

In 1675, Catholicos Domentius restored the church and added a two-story belltower. In 1683, Catholicos Nikolos spearheaded the painting of murals inside the church. Under King Erekle II's reign, a seminary was founded near Anchiskhati. During the invasion of Agha Mohammad Khan in 1795, the church was damaged. It was restored at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1814, it was repainted for the second time and in the 1870s, a several-story belltower was added.

Following the 1958–1964 renovation works (headed by architect R. Gverdtsiteli), the oldest sections of the basilica were uncovered. The building was largely cleared of the later additions; they removed the false dome and the belltower, cleared 19th-century paintings, and restored the church to its 17th-century version.

Literature: გვერდწითელი რ., ანჩისხატის რესტავრაცია, «ძეგლის მეგობარი», 1966, № 7; კარბელაშვილი პ., ძველი ანჩისხატის ტაძარი ქ. ტფილისში. ისტორიული მიმოხილვა, ტფ., 1902; ჩუბინაშვილი გ., ქართული ხელოვნების ისტორია, ტ. 1, ტფ., 1936.

R. Gverdtsiteli