Hujabi

Hujabi is the monastery complex of XIII century located in the Kvemo Kartli region near the village of Akhkerpi in Marneuli Municipality (currently it is a controlled territory by Armenia). It is first mentioned in Georgian sources in 1721. The monks left Hujabi monastery during one of the enemies’ invasions. In 1905, a Russian Orthodox nunnery was established here, which existed until 1935. According to what Igumenia Pavla, the head of the nunnery says about the monastery, the nuns were exiled from the Hujabi monastery in 1935 for unknown reasons. They found the shelter in the village of Akhkerpi and set up a chapel in one of the residential place. During the Soviet Union time Hujabi monastery was included in the territories of Georgia. The monument confirms it is Georgian by both, the architectural features and the Georgian inscriptions of the church. The monastery is located near the Georgian-Armenian border. This territory became controversial since Armenian border guards opened fire to the film crew of television “Mze”. The media reported that the border guards illegally crossed the border, after that Hujabi has been under Armenian control.

Architecture

Hujabi is a cross-shaped domed church. It stands on an artificially created slope. The facades are covered with dark gray stone slabs and also there are the accents with yellowish stone slabs. The interior of the church is partially damaged and you can easily see the brick structure. Fragments of paintings are preserved in Sadiakve (the store room for monks). Scenes of the royal feasts are preserved on the left wall. On the north wall you can find out the images builders of this church. Traces of Georgian Asomtavruli(the oldest Georgian alphabet) inscriptions can be seen on the eastern, northern and western walls. On the eastern facade of the church there are small triangular niches, the arches of which are decorated with festoons. There are three windows between the niches. You will find a composition of a cross made of yellow stones on the south. The ornaments of the cross are decorated with yellow stones.The church has three entrances - from the west, north and south. The western and southern sides have matching window decorations. The northern entrance is plain. A three-part gate with arches is built in front of the western facade, on the narrow strip of the artificial platform. The neck of the dome has twelve windows’ arches. Relief images are inserted between the dome's cornice and the arches. The facades and the dome are also finished with a two-part cornice. Traces of the wall, a hall church and other agricultural buildings have been preserved on the area of Hujabi Monastery.