The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

The oldest church in the monastery complex is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, most probably dating back to the to the 10th century.

There is no record whatsoever about its founders, despite the chapel’s rich and lovely ornamentation, there is no clue or inscription on the walls of the church itself.  

After the end of the Soviet rule over Georgia in 1989, the Church of the Assumption of Mary was renovated and restored to what was believed to be its original state, that is to say the walls that were built by Russian monks in the 19th century. Behind them, many hidden frescoes were discovered.

These paintings were not part of the original 10th century decoration but were most presumably added in the first half of the 14th century, at the prime of Sapara Monastery under the Jaqeli royal family.

One of the finest pieces of craftsmanship in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is its iconostasis. It is made of greenish stone, bearing pictorial representations of biblical passages, including the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary and the Meeting of the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist.

In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. The iconostasis of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at Sapara Monastery is currently housed in the National Art Museum of Georgia in Tbilisi.

Picture credits: beyondarts GmbH

Project “Increased regional added value in the tourism sectors of Georgia by Digital Heritage Tourism Guides” was funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation.