Gremi
| Gremi გრემი | |
|---|---|
 Gremi | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Georgian Orthodox Church |
| Region | Caucasus |
| Location | |
| Location | KakhetiProvince (Mkhare), Georgia |
  Shown within Georgia | |
| Geographic coordinates | 42°00′07″N45°39′36″E/ 42.002047°N 45.660031°E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Levan of Kakheti |
| Completed | 1565–1577 |
Gremi(Georgian:გრემი) is a 16th-century architectural monument – the royal citadel and the Church of theArchangels– inKakheti,Georgia.The complex is what has survived from the once flourishing town of Gremi and is located southwest of the present-day village of the same name in theKvareli district,115 kilometers east ofTbilisi,capital of Georgia.
History
[edit]
Gremi was the capital of theKingdom of Kakhetiin the 16th and 17th centuries. Founded byLevan of Kakheti,it functioned as a lively trading town on theSilk Roadand royal residence until being razed to the ground by the armies of ShahAbbas I of Persiain 1615. The town never regained its past prosperity and thekings of Kakhetitransferred their capital toTelaviin the mid-17th century.
The town appears to have occupied the area of approximately 40hectaresand to have been composed of three principal parts – the Archangels’ Church complex, the royal residence and the commercial neighborhood. Systematic archaeological studies of the area guided by A. Mamulashvili and P. Zak’araia were carried out in 1939-1949 and 1963-1967, respectively. Since 2007, the monuments of Gremi have been proposed for inclusion into theUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.
Architecture
[edit]The Archangels’ Church complex is located on a hill and composed of the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel itself, a three-storycastle,abell towerand a wine cellar (marani). It is encircled by a wall secured byembrasures,turretsandtowers.Remains of thesecret tunnelleading to the Ints’obi River have also survived.
The Church of the Archangels was constructed at the behest of KingLevan of Kakheti(r.1520–1574) in 1565 and frescoed by 1577. It is a cruciform domed church built chiefly of stone. Its design marries traditional Georgian masonry with a local interpretation of the contemporaryIranianarchitectural taste.[1]The building has three entrances, one facing west, one facing to the south, and the third facing to the north. The interior is crowned with a dome supported by the corners of the sanctuary and two basic piers. Thefaçadeis divided into three arched sections. The dome sits on an arcaded drum which is punctured by eight windows.
The bell-tower also houses a museum where several archaeological artifacts and the 16th-century cannon are displayed. The walls are adorned with a series of portraits of the kings of Kakheti by the modern Georgian painter Levan Chogoshvili (1985).[2]
References
[edit]- ^Kakha Khimshiashvili,A Short History of Georgian architectureArchived2004-08-19 at theWayback Machine.Opentext.Ge. Accessed September 29, 2007.
- ^Gremi MuseumArchived2011-07-26 at theWayback Machine.Ministry of Culture, Monument Protection and Sports of Georgia. Accessed on September 29, 2007.
- Rosen, Roger.Georgia: A Sovereign Country of the Caucasus.Odyssey Publications: Hong Kong, 1999.ISBN962-217-748-4
External links
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- Archaeological sites in Georgia (country)
- Castles and forts in Georgia (country)
- Churches in Georgia (country)
- Former populated places in the Caucasus
- Religious buildings and structures completed in 1577
- 16th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings
- Buildings and structures in Kakheti
- World Heritage Tentative List
- Tourist attractions in Kakheti