Cathedral of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary in Akhalkalaki

The complex of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary is situated in the site of Shida Kartli, in the municipality of Kaspi, in the village Akhalkalaki, in the center of the countryside. It is dated to the XVI-XVII centuries, and the building is monumental and consists of the temple, a fortress, a bell-tower, and several pillars. The cathedral of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary is built with cracked stones. As for the construction, it is square, with right-angled, to the east, the shape of its interior is round. The floor of the apse is uplifted with one step, relatively to the hall. There is a door to the north side of the wall, which connects the church to the belfry. The chapel itself is covered up with a semicircular vault, which is leaning on two arches. The arches are propped on pilasters. There is one fornicated fan window, and on both sides of it, there are single oriels. On the south side of the facade, there are two fenestras, we can see two windows also on the central part of the west wall, and to the north- just one. The entrance is from the south. On the south exterior, there is a marvelous pavilion, with three arches. On the fourth side, there is the door that leads you to the church. Over the roof of the cathedral is done with tile.

There is a two-storied church bell attached to the cathedral from the north-west side. In the building, there are used brickbats and stones. Getting on the first floor is only possible from the entrance of the church. The first floor is adapted as a prayer place. In old times, there were two doors here, which are now altered as windows. From the east, there is a very narrow fenestra. The campanile is covered with a dome, made out of bricks. The second floor is a summer-house, with eight tubes, and has open arches all over it. There are shafts all over the arches. On the west facade, the entrances are decorated and covered with adorable leafy ornaments. The chapel itself has a pyramidal roofing.

Over the cathedral, there is a cobblestone fortress. From the shape, it is a crooked quadrangle and in every corner, there is a cylindrical tower. The best remnant is the north-west tower, which is four-storeyed. The first stage has a thrifty appointment, the entrance is from the yard. On the floors, there are differently dimensioned battlements. In front of the towers’ entrances, there are fireplaces. The last floor was specially created for battle preparations. Here you can also see the fragments of the merlons.