Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften

Abstract:
Near the village of Wardisubani, southwest of Tbilisi, Georgia, stand the ruins of a church, first uncovered in 1989, but not yet published in detail. This church deserves special attention because of its shape – “round with gallery” – and its prominent position on a terrace above the river Mashavera. It appears to be a copy of the Anastasis Rotunda, part of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, donated by Constantine the Great (constructed 326–335 AD). Twelve such copies from early Christian times are now known. The thick walls indicate that there must have been a barrel vault over the gallery and a stone dome crowning its center. There are no external indications for the dating. According to the excavator, the pottery found can be dated to between around 500 and the middle of the 7th century. It seems likely that the church must have been destroyed during an Arab invasion. The masonry is roughly hewn stone and mortar, not emplekton. The earliest example of this building technique is the Sioni Church in Bolnisi (478–493). Even small relevant churches from the 6th century around Wardisubani exhibit emplekton construction. This could indicate that this church was built around 500 AD. The exceptional location suggests that it was a pilgrimage church. Its patrocinium, however, must remain open. During the Middle Ages, copies of the Anastasis Rotunda were erected in many countries, and named examples demonstrate that the church’s form does not necessarily indicate the church’s original dedication. Such rotundas were dedicated to the Trinity, Mary and the apostles Peter and Andrew, John, Mauritius or Michael, and a few to the Holy Cross. But in case of Wardisubani, no such statement can be made. It must have been a pilgrimage church, though only of local importance and was forgotten after its destruction in the mid-7th century.