Holy places of Abkhazia: what to visit?

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Recreation in Abkhazia is more familiar to the representatives of the older generation of our country. Just a few decades ago, Pitsunda, Gagra or Sukhum were almost the ultimate dream of a vacationer. Now the country is once again returning to the resort firmament, friendly opening its borders to travelers. A wide variety of tours to Abkhazia are offered, including visits to Orthodox shrines.

Ancient monasteries, small churches, healing springs and miraculous icons - all this is worth seeing with your own eyes. You can use combined tours or individual ones, or create an independent route and slowly go around the most amazing and interesting corners of the country. Pay special attention to the famous holy places of Abkhazia, which will be discussed below.

Kamany Village

Located just 15 km from the resort of Sukhum, the settlement is called thrice holy. Removed from the bustle of the world and hidden in the most beautifulgorge near the confluence of two rivers, the village lives a quiet and measured life. However, there is something in these parts that makes thousands of pilgrims and tourists return to it every year.

Perhaps in every country you can find holy places where grace and peace descend upon people. First, they strive to get into them, and then they will certainly return. For Abkhazia, the village of Kamany is one of the main places of this kind. On its small territory there are several shrines at once: the source of St. Basilisk and temples. Everyone will find here what they are looking for: healing, truth, the meaning of life.

Holy spring and St. Basilisk church

Healing spring spouting from the ground is located to the right of the country road to the village. The legend says that Saint Basilisk was locked in a dungeon for confession and devotion to the Christian faith, severely beaten and tortured. However, he did not give up his faith, and for his adherence to Christ he was sent into exile. On the way to Kamany, his guards stopped and left the martyr near a dry tree under the scorching sun. The Roman soldiers refused him even a sip of water. The basilisk began to pray and suddenly the tree trembled and came to life, and a spring gushed out of the ground. All this infuriated the guards, and the Basilisk was executed. In 308, a temple was built on this site, which, unfortunately, has not survived to this day.

Many tours to Abkhazia include this place in their programs. Thousands of pilgrims come to the old chapel to venerate the saint and get healed by drinking water from a rock spoutspring.

Cave

According to legend, the third acquisition of the head of I. Forerunner occurred after the clergyman Innokenty had a prophetic dream. In it, he clearly saw that it was hidden in Kamany, at the foot of a high picturesque mountain. Emperor Michael III sent a delegation to the Abkhazian land. It was here in 850 that the third acquisition of the head of John took place, which was subsequently transferred to Constantinople. The grotto in which she was hidden by the monks has survived to this day and is a shrine for the entire Christian world.

Church of St. John Chrysostom

The third shrine of a small village is the oldest temple. John Chrysostom received his name thanks to his outstanding eloquence, with which he easily consoled the afflicted and converted pagans to the Christian faith. Its history is in many ways similar to the life of St. Basilisk. It was in these places that he ended his earthly journey. A temple was erected in honor of the saint. Here, during the construction, a sarcophagus with the relics of Chrysostom was found and his shroud was kept, which was stolen during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict.

Mokva Church

Mokvinsky temple, or the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the oldest in the country. It was erected in the second half of the 10th century. This is not only a holy place, but also a unique architectural monument. In Abkhazia, the temple is the only one with a five-nave cross-domed temple. According to meager written data, the cathedral had a very rich interior decoration with magnificent fresco paintings on the walls. FROMAt the end of the 17th century, it was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The church officially reopened its doors to parishioners in 2002.

Dranda Cathedral

The holy places of Abkhazia cannot be imagined without this medieval temple. The estimated date of its construction is the 6th-7th century. It was badly damaged during the Turkish invasion and subsequently restored, but, according to historians, the frescoes on the walls were lost. The cathedral has a cross-domed structure with characteristic features of Byzantine architecture. In the period from 1880 to 1928, a monastery operated in it. At the moment, thanks to large-scale restoration work, the temple is returning to its original appearance.

The monastery is located just half an hour drive from the city of Sukhum, in the village of the same name. The temple is active and available for visiting by believers.

New Athos Monastery

Another object that every guide includes in the route "Holy places of Abkhazia" is the New Athos Monastery. Its history began in 1874. It was then, with the assistance of Emperor Alexander III, that the monks of the Panteleimon Monastery were given not only land for a new temple, but also an impressive monetary subsidy. However, the choice of location was not accidental. According to one of the legends, in the first century AD, the Apostle Simon the Zealot, who preached Christianity among the peoples of the Caucasus, died at the hands of Roman soldiers in this territory.

The monastery consists of six temples. Currently activerestoration work to give the object its original appearance.

To visit this amazing, hospitable and beautiful country and not see the holy places of Abkhazia would be completely unforgivable. Even if you are not a pilgrim, it still makes sense to take a look at these amazing places where pristine nature is in harmony with the creation of human hands.