Khobi monastery

Khobi Monastery is located in Samegrelo, Khobi Municipality, in the village of Nojikhevi. It is one of the most important monuments of the XIII-XIV centuries. The monastic ensemble includes a temple, a palace, a bell tower, a fence and the remains of ancillary buildings. The oldest document that mentions the Khobi Monastery is the agape included in the Jvari Monastery Chronicle. The construction of the temple is associated with the names of King Gubaz, David the Builder, Queen Tamar and Tsotne Dadiani. The church received special attention from the family of Shergil Dadiani. The temple preserves frescoes of Shergil, his wife Nateli and the young Tsotne. Khobi Monastery was also known for its cultural and religious heritage. Before the establishment of the Soviet government, the robe of the Virgin Mary, the thigh of St. George, the arm of St. Marine, the hand of St. Kvirike, the cross of Queen Tamar and other relics were rested in the church of Khobi. Information about this can be found in the records of the Italian missionary Archangelo Lambert. He describes that the robe of the Mother of God was shown in the Khobi Monastery, which was highly respected by the locals.

Architecture

Khobi architectural complex includes a temple, a palace, a bell tower, a fence and the remains of ancillary buildings. Khobi Temple is a hall-type building with late additions: the late 14th-century chapel, as well as corridors from the south and west. The building does not belong to any of the established types of Georgian architecture: it is a domed building, the arches of which create a cross space in the interior. The temple was rebuilt several times, it was constructed in several stages. The north-west and south-west corners were initially separated into separate chapels, but later the walls were torn down and the chapels were connected to the main space. The west and south facades are lined with an open gallery along their entire length, ending in a closed chapel of ​​the south facade. Khobi church is richly decorated with carvings. Above the entrance to the chapel, on a specially smoothed large stone, there is a nine-line inscription that tells the story of the construction of the southern gallery and the chapel. The interior of the temple is painted. The conch of the apse depicts the Virgin Mary with a child and angels. In the upper part of the west wall are frescoes of the Savior, Mary and John. The walls of the chapel depict the crucifixion, the ascension to hell, the anointing women at the Savior's coffin, the descent from the cross and mourn, and the north wall - the Savior in the coffin. On the east side of the north wall are depicted donors: Vameq Dadiani and his wife Marekh. The temple is surrounded by a fence, which was restored in the 70s of the XX century. To the south-east of the temple, there is a domed bell tower built of stone. The bell tower was previously painted. It has seven windows. Khobi bell tower is one of the largest in Georgia.

Khobi Palace is a rectangular building in the plan. It is built of white rough stone of different sizes. On the lower floor of the chamber, a cellar is arranged. The floor of the upper floor rests on pilasters. The west wall of the second floor is opened by four large arched windows that start directly from the floor. The edges of the windows, like the arches, are carved with well-adjusted stones. There are many niches of different sizes and shapes in the palace. Fireplaces are preserved. The building was plastered inside and out. Khobi Monastery has the status of an immovable cultural monument of national importance.