Doctoral Candidate
Researcher
Giorgi Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: 0009-0001-3706-7925
nm.aronishidze@gmail.com

On Certain Typological Characteristics of the Three-Church Basilica

The three-church basilica constitutes one of the most significant phenomena in Georgian architectural history. Of particular importance is the fact that this compositional scheme, in its fully developed form and with a continuous trajectory of evolution, is attested exclusively in Georgia. In various regions of the so-called “Byzantine world,” individual monuments can be found that exhibit certain analogies—planning solutions which, to varying degrees, approximate the Georgian three-church basilica. However, within the Byzantine Empire proper, no fully developed examples of this architectural type are attested—examples that would demonstrate a consistent history of conception, formation, and development.

Although a substantial body of scholarship has been devoted to the study of the three-church basilica, debates persist regarding both its functional significance and the terminological accuracy of the type designation itself. Georgian as well as foreign scholars frequently argue that these structures should rather be identified as hall churches with annexes, rather than as a distinct basilica form. This issue is crucial not only for defining the historical trajectory of the type but also for situating it within the broader context of early medieval Georgian ecclesiastical architecture.

The aim of the present paper is to introduce preliminary scholarly reflections on a number of contentious issues concerning the planning characteristics of the type. More specifically, it seeks to establish a clear conceptual distinction between the hall church with annexes and the three-church basilica, based on an analysis of their respective planning principles.

 

Keywords: Three-church basilica, Georgian architecture, Early Christian Georgian art, Georgian ecclesiastical architecture, Georgian basilica tradition.