The G. Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation
Researcher
nm.aronishidze@gmail.com
Abstract
The present paper examines a hall-type church located in the village of Zendidi, within the municipality of Keda. The structure belongs to a category of Georgian architecture that has only recently become the subject of systematic scholarly investigation. The Zendidi church is a simple hall church, terminating on the eastern side with a rectangular sanctuary. No prior scientific studies of the monument have been identified, and it may be considered largely unknown to the academic community. Although the structure survives only partially, its planning and architectural characteristics remain legible, providing a basis for determining its typological classification as well as for proposing a date.
It is noteworthy that churches exhibiting this particular planning feature were constructed throughout the entire medieval period in Georgia and, as an integral component of Georgian architectural tradition, this type underwent a distinct trajectory of development and transformation. Surviving examples include rectangular-sanctuary churches from the Early Christian and transitional periods, as well as from the developed and late Middle Ages. Moreover, although the majority of churches with this type of “eastern” termination are hall churches, compositions of three-aisled basilicas, triple-church basilicas, and domed structures with rectangular sanctuaries are also attested. Rock-cut churches sharing these same characteristics are likewise known, which, taken together, indicates the exceptionally wide dissemination of this type or motif within Georgian ecclesiastical architecture.
The present study will provide an architectural analysis of the hall church in the village of Zendidi, an evaluation of archaeological excavation data, a historical overview, and a comparative study of the monument. On the basis of this integrated approach, both the planning typology of the building and its probable date of construction will be determined.
Keywords: Zendidi Church; hall church; rectangular sanctuary; Georgian ecclesiastical architecture; medieval architecture.