Ambara church

Ruined church complex in Abkhazia/Georgia

43°08′37″N 40°29′23″E / 43.14361°N 40.48972°E / 43.14361; 40.48972ArchitectureTypeChurchCompleted7–8th century, reconstructed in Late Middle Ages

The Ambara church (Georgian: ამბარას ეკლესია) is located near village Myussera in the Gudauta District, Abkhazia/Georgia, on the cape of Miusera, close to the mouth of the Ambara stream.^[2] Ambara three-nave basilica represents an important example of this type's architectural monuments. Ambara church has been given the status of culture heritage monument.

History

The Ambara church complex consists of a half-ruined three-nave basilica (first built in 7–8th century), a stone fence (Middle Ages) and remains of several additional secular structures, dated by scholars from the 8th to the 10th century. The basilica has a roughly processed ashlar stone surface stones that have survived almost in its original form, a two-storey narthex and an upper gallery on the west facade. The main nave vault bears traces of the Late Medieval reconstruction.^[3]^[4]

The Ambara church is one of the tourist destinations in Abkhazia. The area is reportedly increasingly being littered.^[5] Georgia has inscribed the church on its list of cultural heritage and treats it as part of cultural heritage in the Russian-occupied territories with no known current state of condition.^[3]

References

^ The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
^ Ambara church in Miusera village Historical monuments of Abkhazia — Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
^ ^a ^b Gelenava, Irakli, ed. (2015). Cultural Heritage in Abkhazia (PDF). Tbilisi: Meridiani. p. 20.
^ Rcheulishvili, Levan (1988). Купольная архитектура VIII - X веков в Абхазии [Domed architecture of the 8th-10th centuries in Abkhazia] (in Russian). Tbilisi: Metsniereba. pp. 72–75.
^ Solovyeva, Y. (10 October 2013). "Цивилизация добралась и до урочища Амбара. Теперь и здесь мусор!". Respublika Abkhaziya. Retrieved 13 March 2017.