Sakire (Sikiarebi) Church (Region of Artaani)
Sakire (Sikiarebi) church (Georg. საკირეს (სიკიარების) ეკლესია, Tur. Iskareb Kilissi) is located in the Georgian historical region – Artaani (Georg. არტაანი Tur. Ardakhan), in the modern village of Kotanli (Tur. Kotanli), Turkey. Previously, this place was called Sikiarebi (Georg. სიკიარები), hence the name of the Church. The church, which is largely destroyed, was built in the 10th century.
The building with one nave is an interesting architectural example. Built of reddish and gray basalt stone. The thickness of the walls exceeds 80 cm. The front stone is well smoothed and arranged in straight rows. On the eastern facade, at the top and bottom of the window, there is a Georgian inscription in letters “Asomtavruli” (Georg. ასომთავრული). From the inscriptions established by the Georgian historian Ekvtime Takaishvili, it follows that the Church of Sakire (Sikiarebi) was dedicated to St. George.
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