Sameba Cathedral
.jpg)
The Sameba Cathedral ( Georgian სამების ტაძარი 'Trinity Cathedral' ) is a church building in the Georgian capital Tbilisi . It is one of the main churches of the Georgian Orthodox Apostle Church and, with the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral , the seat of its patriarch. It is the largest church building in Transcaucasia .
The cathedral was built from 1996 to 2004 according to plans by the architect Artschil Mindiaschwili . The design was selected from over 100 suggestions in an architectural competition organized by the Orthodox Church in 1989 . The construction was financed by the Georgian businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili and was considered a "symbol of the national and religious resurrection of Georgia".
The cathedral is located in the center of Tbilisi on Elias Hill on the left bank of the Kura near the old town . The residence of the Georgian Catholicos Patriarch and Archbishop of Mtskheta -Tiflis, a monastery, a seminary and a theological college are also housed on its nine-hectare site .
The cathedral is a mixture of different Georgian church building styles. It has a cruciform floor plan. The dome lies over the crossing and rests on eight pillars. The proportions of the church are independent of the apse , giving a more monumental impression. The dome is crowned by a 7.5 meter high gilded cross. The height of the building from the ground to the top of the cross is 84 meters. The interior is 56 × 44 m. The building, including the narthex , has a total area of 5,000 square meters.
The Sameba Cathedral consists of nine chapels. They are dedicated to the Archangels , John the Baptist , Saint Nino , Saint George , Saint Nicholas of Myra , the Apostles and all saints . Five of the chapels are located in a large basement. The cathedral also has a campanile .
Only natural stone was used for the construction . The floor is lined with marble slabs . The altar is decorated with a mosaic , the walls with frescoes by a group of artists under the direction of Amiran Goglidze .
See also
Web links
Coordinates: 41 ° 41 ′ 51 ″ N , 44 ° 48 ′ 59.6 ″ E