Tsunda Church (Georgian: წუნდის ეკლესია, romanized: ts'undis ek'lesia) is a church in Tsunda, near Tmogvi fortress in the Samtskhe–Javakheti region of Georgia.

Tsunda Church
წუნდის წმინდა იოანე ნათლისმცემლის ეკლესია (in Georgian)
Tsunda church
Religion
AffiliationGeorgian Orthodox
ProvinceSamtskhe–Javakheti
Location
LocationGeorgia (country) Aspindza Municipality, Samtskhe–Javakheti, Georgia
Tsunda Church is located in Samtskhe-Javakheti
Tsunda Church
Shown within Samtskhe-Javakheti
Tsunda Church is located in Georgia
Tsunda Church
Tsunda Church (Georgia)
Geographic coordinates41°24′28″N 43°20′04″E / 41.40778°N 43.33444°E / 41.40778; 43.33444
Architecture
TypeChurch
Completed12th-13th century

History

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Tsunda Church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, dates back to the 12th-13th centuries. In this vicinity, there are natural hot water springs and terraced gardens. The church stands on the site of the ancient city Tsunda.[1][2]

The hall church was erected on the top of a high rock by Ichkit Gurgenisdze, as it is written above the western entrance. Its basement contains a crypta. The decorations are rather poor, except the door and window frames. The portal with reliefs was added some time after the church construction.

As common for such churches the vault is of barrel-chamber type, and the apse with conch is in the eastern part of the interior. Original frescoes are nearly destroyed.

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References

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  1. ^ Мровели, Леонти (1979) Жизнь картлийских царей. Наука, Москва [Mroveli, Leonti. The Life of kings of Kartli] (in Russian)
  2. ^ Закарая, П. (1983) Памятники Восточной Грузии. Искусство, Москва, 376 с. [Zakaraya, P. Monuments of Eastern Georgia](In Russian)