Nikortsminda Cathedral facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nikortsminda Cathedral ნიკორწმინდის ტაძარი
Nikortsminda Cathedral
Religion
Affiliation	Georgian Orthodox Church
District	Racha (historic region)
Region	Caucasus
Status	Active
Location
Location	Nikortsminda, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Province (Mkhare),  Georgia
Location in Georgia
Architecture
Architectural type	Domed cruciform plan
Architectural style	Georgian; Cathedral
Groundbreaking	1010
Completed	1014; Belfry: late 19th century
Dome(s)	1

The Nikortsminda Cathedral (Georgian: ნიკორწმინდის ტაძარი) is a beautiful old church in the Racha region of Georgia. It belongs to the Georgian Orthodox Church.

This amazing church was built a very long time ago, between the years 1010 and 1014. King Bagrat III of Georgia was in charge when it was built. Later, in 1534, another king named Bagrat III of Imereti helped repair it. Next to the main church, there's a tall, three-story bell tower that was added much later, in the late 1800s. Inside the church, you can see old paintings called frescoes that were made in the 1600s.

Nikortsminda Cathedral is so special that it's on a list to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means it's considered very important for everyone in the world to protect.

What Makes Nikortsminda Cathedral Special?

The Nikortsminda Cathedral is built in a special style called the cross-dome style. This means the church's shape looks like a cross from above, with a large dome in the middle. It has a unique design with six rounded sections inside a rectangle.

The Dome and Its Windows

The church has a very large dome that sits on top. This dome has twelve windows, which let in lots of light. Each window is decorated with beautiful carvings around its edges.

Inside the Cathedral

Inside, the cathedral has five rounded sections, called apses. From these sections, the huge dome rises up. The dome gets plenty of light from its twelve windows. The way the round dome connects to the six-sided base is very clever, using special curved shapes.

The inside space is made even bigger by the altar area and a passage at the western side. The walls are covered with amazing frescoes, which are paintings done directly on the plaster. These paintings are from the 17th century. You can also see beautiful stone carvings that show how skilled the artists were in medieval Georgia.

Outside the Cathedral

From the outside, the church looks like a short-armed cross. The walls are made of smooth, cut stone. The decorations are very rich and detailed. You can see many different patterns and carvings.

There are also carved pictures that tell stories, like:

• The Transfiguration (when Jesus changed appearance)
• The Judgment Day (about the end of the world)
• The Ascension of the Cross (when the cross was lifted up)

You can also find figures of saints, like Saint George and Saint Theodore. There are carvings of both real and mythical animals. All these decorations work together to tell a story. Nikortsminda is known for having some of the most beautiful decorations of all Georgian churches, mixing several different art styles.

Gallery

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  Frescoes on the dome interior.

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  Belfry, 19th century