Zarzma Monastery (Region of Samtskhe – Javakheti)
Zarzma Monastery (Georg. ზარზმის მონასტერი) – great example of the early medieval Georgian church architecture. Throughout its history, religious building is going through difficult times. Construction, overlooking a picturesque river bank, has repeatedly been subjected to a variety of restorations. The earliest church on the site was built in the 6th century , by the monk Serapion Zarzmeli.
What has survived from the earlier monastery is the late 10th-century Georgian inscription inserted in the chapel’s entrance arch. The church that stands up to this day, was constructed in the first years of the 14th century. After the Ottoman conquest of the area later in the 16th century, the monastery was abandoned and lay in disrepair until the end of the 19th century. Currently, the monastery is functional and houses a community of Georgian monks.
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