Tsaishi Cathedral – is one of the oldest centers of Georgian culture. It is unique and one of the most ancient episcopates in Samegrelo, mentioned as an episcopate as far back as the 6th-7th centuries.
Tsaishi Architectural Complex is located 10 km southeast of Zugdidi. While in previous centuries the village of Tsaishi was renowned for its episcopal see, today its pride is a mineral healing spring, discovered a few years ago.
Against the backdrop of subtropical plants and citrus plantations, nestled on the mountain slope, the silhouettes of the domed church and other buildings emerge. The Tsaishi ensemble has been rebuilt several times. In the late 13th and early 14th centuries, a domed church was erected on the ruins of the old one. A major earthquake in 1614 destroyed almost two-thirds of the new church. Between 1616 and 1619, the church was restored by the Catholicos of Western Georgia, Malakia Gurieli. Since then, the church has not undergone significant alterations.
Today, the Tsaishi complex consists of a domed church, a bell tower, and the lower floor of a palace. The remnants of the ancient church were used in the construction of the later structure. On a randomly inserted bas-relief in the northern wall of the bell tower, together with the builders of this ancient church, the western façade of the old church is likely depicted.
The palace represents a large hall with an arched-vaulted ceiling resting on two central columns. This building is one of the remarkable examples of medieval civil architecture. The central-domed church built at the turn of the 13th-14th centuries is best preserved in the eastern part following the earthquake. Windows, decorated with moldings and ornamental bands, are located on the protruding faceted apse.
On the southern façade, only the right section and the ornamental cornice are original. The window in the middle was reconstructed from fragments. The western and northern façades, along with the dome, were restored between 1616 and 1619. Fragments of the old decoration were used in these walls in some places. The low proportions of the church spaces are unusual for structures of this type from the 13th-14th centuries, but this was due to the use of earlier-period construction.
In 1616-1619, during restoration, the interior walls were completely frescoed, with much of the frescoes from this period preserved. Of historical interest are the depictions of civil and religious figures in the lower row of images. In front of the altar, on both sides, are marble columns brought by Vamek Dadiani from Abkhazia in the late 14th century as spoils of war.
The bell tower, located at the entrance to the enclosure, is of a later origin. The great earthquake destroyed the original bell tower along with other structures. During the monument’s restoration in the 17th century, an arched entrance was built, followed by a two-story bell tower. In 1919, the renowned Georgian writer and publicist Iona Meunargia was buried here.
The Tsaishi architectural complex is one of the interesting examples of the unique development of Georgian medieval architecture. It reflects the characteristics of the decline in Georgian feudal culture, a result of Mongol invasions and the country’s economic weakening.