Dranda Cathedral, Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Dranda, Georgia.
Dranda Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Dranda village, in the Abkhazia region of Georgia. The building has a rectangular plan with a central dome resting on four pillars and thick stone walls on the exterior.
The cathedral was built in the 6th century under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, when the region was under Byzantine influence. In the medieval period it became a bishop's seat of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The cathedral is one of the oldest Christian buildings in the region and still draws worshippers to services today. Inside, fragments of frescoes and carved stone panels with religious motifs remain visible on the walls.
Dranda village is located south of Sukhumi and can be reached by local transport. Wear sturdy shoes when visiting the grounds around the cathedral, as the terrain can be uneven.
On the western side of the cathedral there is an underground passage leading toward the Kodori River, lined with marble slabs carved with religious motifs. Most visitors walk past without noticing this hidden section beneath the building.
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