Khakhuli Monastery

Khakhuli Monastery ხახულის მონასტერი
Basic information
Location	Bağbaşı village, province of Erzurum, Northeast Turkey (historic Georgian principality of Tao)
Affiliation	Sunni Islam (formerly Georgian Orthodox)
Architectural description
Architectural type	Monastery, Church
Architectural style	domed church, croix libre type
Completed	late tenth / early eleventh century
Specifications

Khakhuli Monastery (Georgian: ხახულის მონასტერი, Turkish: Haho/Bağbaşi) was a Georgian Orthodox monastery in historical Medieval Georgian Kingdom of Tao (modern-day Turkey), in one of the gorges of the Tortum river. The main church is now used as a mosque.

Khakhuli was a very important centre of literature and Georgian culture and many Georgian scholars and theologians studied and worked in Khakhuli including Basil of Khakhuli, Ioane Khakhuleli, Davit Tbileli, and Giorgi Mtatsmindeli.

History

Khakhuli Monastery was founded in the second half of the 10th century by King David III Kurapalates and later the community advanced into an economically advanced region including 300 villages and 30 independent minor feudal lords. In the 16th century, prior to the Ottoman conquest of southern Georgian territories, Khakhuli was part of Kartli Catholicate and after the Ottoman conquest of Tao, Khakhuli got isolated from Georgia.^[1]

Khakhuli Church

Monastic complex includes Khakhuli Church, Georgian cross-dome church reflecting the early cross-dome style of architecture.

Dome

statue of the eagle which is with roe

The Khakhuli Church has a dome with arcs, which is supported by the apse corners and two free-standing piers.

Specifications

Interior, windows, as well as the fecades of the church is adorned with ornaments. The west arm is divided into three "naves" and the east arm terminates in a semicircular apse, flanked with one compartment on each side, also topped with small apses.

The south window has an interesting decoration: it is topped with radial rays formed of stones of two colors and between the arches of the paired window an image of an eagle can be seen.

The drum is furnished with twisted, paired shafts and the arches relying on them.

Treasures of Kakhuli

A 12th-century triptych icon of the Mother of God from the Khakhuli Monastery is a very valuable example of medieval Georgian goldsmithery. Also, there are several small chapels around the Church, within the circuit wall, one of which dates from the 10th century.

Notes

1. The Ottoman sources refer to the region as Haho Gorge, and sometimes as Ishkhani.

References

• The Spiritual Treasure of Georgia. Khelovneba Publishers, Tbilisi: 2005.
  

  Fresco

External links

Khakhuli retrieved from Parliament. Ge

Coordinates: 40°51′44″N 41°45′37″E / 40.86222°N 41.76028°E

Inside interior