Ateni Sioni Church, 7th-century Orthodox church in Ateni village, Georgia
Ateni Sioni is a 7th-century church located in a small village south of Gori, built with a tetraconch design featuring four apses around a central space topped by a dome. The structure stands as a solid stone building with multiple cylindrical niches that support the main vault above.
Construction began in the 7th century following Georgian forces driving out Arab invaders, building the church upon the remains of a 5th-century basilica that had stood before. This rebuilding marked a turning point when local princes reasserted control over the region.
The interior walls display early examples of Georgian Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli scripts, showing how people recorded their religious life in writing during medieval times. These inscriptions reveal the everyday spiritual practices of the communities that worshipped here.
The church sits roughly 12 kilometers south of Gori with road access and parking facilities nearby. Visitors will find it in an open setting that requires a short walk from where vehicles are left.
The walls display two distinct stone colors with greenish-gray stones in the upper sections and reddish ashlar stones below, many adorned with carved decorative patterns. This color contrast resulted from using locally available materials that were quarried at different times.
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