Kumurdo Cathedral

Kumurdo Cathedral stands in the village of Kumurdo on the Javakheti plateau, about 12 km west of Akhalkalaki. An inscription dates its construction to 964, which places it among the major Georgian cathedrals of the 10th century, the decades when builders were developing the tall domed churches that later defined the national style. The walls are of finely dressed stone, and the plan, with several apses grouped around the domed centre, is unusual for its time. Carved crosses, decorated window frames and long inscriptions in the old asomtavruli script cover parts of the facades.

For centuries the dome lay collapsed and the building stood open to the sky among the village houses. Restoration in recent years has stabilised the walls and rebuilt parts of the structure, so it is worth checking the current state before you go. The village is Armenian-speaking and quiet, and there are no facilities at the church. It fits well into a drive between Vardzia and Akhalkalaki, or across the plateau to Paravani.

According to its main inscription, Kumurdo was built in 964 on the initiative of Bishop Ioane, during the reign of King Leon III, and it served as the seat of a bishopric in Javakheti. The see declined after the Ottoman conquest of the region in the 16th century, and the cathedral fell out of use. Earthquakes and centuries of neglect later brought down its dome.