Sioni ( Georgian სიონი ) is historically the main temple of Tbilisi and one of the two main in the Georgian Church ; named after the Mount of Zion and consecrated in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary . It stands on the banks of the Kura River in the historic city center . Before the construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral ( Tsminda Sameba ) ( 2004 ), there was a department of the Georgian Catholicos .
| Orthodox Cathedral | |
| Sioni | |
|---|---|
| cargo. სიონი | |
| A country |  Georgia |
| Location | Tbilisi, Sioni street |
| Denomination | Orthodoxy |
| Diocese | Mtskheta and Tbilisi |
| Type of building | Cathedral |
| Established | |
| Relics and Shrines | Cross of St. Nina |
| Status | acting |
Content
History
The foundation of the temple is attributed to Vakhtang I Gorgasal . It is more likely that the initiator of the construction was the Kurapalat Guram I (at the end of the 6th century, probably buried here). According to some reports, the construction was completed under King Ardanas in the 7th century [1] .
This first church was demolished by the Arabs after the establishment of the emirate .
In 1112, David IV the Builder , having liberated Tbilisi from the Arabs, erected a new cathedral in the city, which was repeatedly destroyed and restored. Particularly significant work was required after the invasion of Jalal ad-Din of Mankburn and the earthquake of 1668.
In 1726, the main Georgian Orthodox cathedral in Tbilisi kept the Ottoman Turks who occupied the Kartli kingdom from becoming an Islamic mosque, using their influence, Prince Givi Amilahvari .
In September 1795, the cathedral was badly damaged by the invasion of the Aga-Mohammed Khan . Wooden choirs and an iconostasis were burned, the frescoes were covered with soot and soot. The cathedral was soon restored and in 1817 Minai Medici wrote that “it is vast and magnificent, painted inside with paintings from the Bible” [2]
Some tsars are buried in the cathedral - Guram and Ardanas, hierarchs of the Georgian Church, in particular the Catholicos-Patriarch Kirion II (canonized in 2002 ), David V (Devdariani) and significant figures of Russian and Georgian history - P. Tsitsianov , General Lazarevich, representatives of the house Orbeliani .
Appearance and Shrines
After the restoration of 1980 - 1983, the temple of Sioni, despite the complex construction history, has retained its medieval appearance. At a distance from the cathedral there are two bell towers - one old, three-story, built in the 15th century , destroyed by the Persians and restored in the 20th century , the other is a typical example of Russian classicism (built in 1812 ).
The frescoes of the Russian artist G. G. Gagarin are preserved in the interior of the temple.
The first place among the relics stored in the temple is occupied by the Head of St. Apostle Thomas and the ancient cross of St. Nina
Sioni in the 19th century photo
View from Sioni to Narikala
Gagarin's mural plan
New bell tower
15th century old bell tower
Frescoes
Frescoes
Notes
- ↑ Grigory Moskvich Illustrated practical guide to the Caucasus. Odessa, 1899
- ↑ Anchabadze Yu. D., Volkova N.G. Old Tbilisi. - M. , 1990 .-- S. 50.