The Qvibisi Archangel Church

The Qvibisi Archangel Church is a developed medieval monument. It is located in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, in the village of Qvibisi, Borjomi municipality, on the left bank of the river Qvibisistskali. The exact date of the church’s construction is not known, though scientists believe it dates back to the XII century. The church is a hall type, to the south it has an annex, which follows along the entire length of the facade. The inner space of the main hall ends with a semicircular apse to the east. The strainer arch of the cylindrical vault relies on one pair of single-stage pilaster, finished with capitals. Longitudinal walls are divided by pilasters. On the west side of the church, there is a second strainer arch, relied on the consoles, and to the west is the quadrant of pilasters, which grows into a wall arch without the capitals. Cylindrical vault of south annex relies on the single-stage strainer arch, which is hung on the consoles. The temple apertures are simple. The main hall and annex have per one entrance to the south, which is underlined with an architrave stone lying on top of the aperture. The temple has 7 rectangular windows. The west facade is followed by a single-stage socle. The building also has a shelf and a slightly curved recess profile cornice. The interior is completely painted in the recent period, however, it was not intended for painting and the frescoes diminish the architectonics, which vividly express the space. The temple is built of roughly processed stones of various sizes. The main hall is covered with a tin gable roof, and the annex- with a shed roof. The church has a yard surrounded by a low stone wall. This monument is distinguished by its good proportions and construction craftsmanship.

How to get there

Qvibisi is located in the Borjomi Municipality, on the banks of the Qvibiskistskali River, 6 km from Borjomi. The asphalt road goes to the village.