Ateni Sioni Church (Region of Shida Kartli)
Ateni Sioni Church (Georgian: ატენის სიონი) – One of the most beautiful monuments of Georgian architecture consecrated in honor of the Virgin Mary. The temple was built in the beginning of VII century, on the place of the old three-nave basilica of V century. The temple was restored several times, the most thorough of them refers to the second half of the X century. The architecture is similar to that of the famous Jvari of Mtskheta (Georgian: მცხეთის ჯვარი ). According to their typological characteristics, Ateni Church is important in many ways. The facade is one of the most important monuments of Georgian epigraphy with sculptural decoration, multi-layered paintings and many types of inscriptions. It contains several dozens of frescoes, scratch paintings and lapidary inscriptions, the chronological limit of which includes the period from the 7th century to the late Middle Ages.
Determining the date of the painting of the Aten Sioni has long been one of the important research questions of Georgian art historians. Interest in the mentioned monument was caused by the fact that the painting of the temple occupies an important place in the history of Georgian monumental painting of the feudal era. The sense of measure and harmony in the painting of the temple is organically combined with conventionality, typical of medieval art. The inner surface of the temple is decorated with frescoes of religious content, depicting the Nativity of the Mother of God and church holiday related subjects.
Images of tsars and local feudal lords are executed in the national style. The monastery complex also preserved: the Dome Church of the Orbeliani Princes of the VIII century, the Church of St. George (Tsminda Giorgi) of the XI century, the medieval fortress of Atenis-Tsikhe (Georgian: ატენის ციხე).
Ateni Village (Georgian: სოფელი ატენი), Municipality of Gori(Georgian: გორის მუნიციპალიტეტი)
