TOWARDS QUESTION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL FORMS OF MOKVI CHURCH AISLES AND GALLERY

Abstract

Mokvi Church in Georgia is very special monument for its original architectural forms, and also – from the point of view of history. Built in 957 - 967 as a seat for a bishop, it maintained its cultural and religious significance through the Middle Ages. ex. Mokvi Gospel dates itself to 1300. The church is also famous because of visit of the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1659; he left prominent information about it. According to Vakhushti, the 18th c. Georgian historian and geographer, the church was still the center of Trans-Codori (river in the Western Georgia) Bishoprics by his times. But by the thirtieth of the 19th c. the church is already abandoned. Complicated variation of “Cross-in-Square”, and five-nave cross-cupola church – these are the labels for architectural type of the church, quite rare in Georgia. Having no direct parallels in Georgia, it is mirrored in Constantinople and Russia of the Middle Ages. Next step of research could be broader comparative study including the Balkans. But now Mokvi Church architectural pecularities are studied in relation with certain group of the monuments. They are as follows: Nea, Kalender Camii, Northern Church of Lips Monastery (Fenari Isa Camii), Eski Imaret Camii (Anna Dalassena Church) in Constanti-nople, St. Sophia Churches in Kiev, Novgorod, Polotsk, etc.