In the village of WIOC Ochamchira district is famous Mokvsky Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary , built in the third quarter of the tenth century, the Abkhaz king of Leon III (955-957 years).
Mokvsky Cathedral is the only five-naval cross- domed church, the final development of early medieval ecclesiastical architecture in Abkhazia, which began back in the VII - X centuries in Pitsunda. From the remaining scraps of information , the cathedral was richly decorated inside . Its walls are covered in a rare art of fresco painting .WIOC visited in 1659, Patriarch Dositheus inscription found here , according to which the temple was decorated under the reign of Emperor Alexis Comnenus at the great King David Abkhazia that is at the end XI - beginning of XII century.
Mokvsky Cathedral enjoyed wide popularity and is often visited by travelers.In 1640 was visited by Russian ambassadors and the priest Pavel Zakharov , sent to the ruler Mengrel Levan II Dadiani. In their report they wrote :.February on the ninth day we were in a monastery with bishops Mokvsky Andrei and Maxim , showed us Fedot da ass Paul Stephen Martyr Archdeacon : hand and foot both whole bone and cross the tree on which Christ was crucified.
At the end of the XVII century Mokvsky cathedral was abandoned.
The well-known Caucasian AcademicianBrosse , who visited the cathedral in 1848 Mokvsky , wrote: The vast size of the body of the church , enveloped in a network of vines , its roof converted into an air garden , its beautiful dome , extendable high tree trunks - all this leads the viewer to wonder.However, to sozhadeniyu , fragments of colored glass , the remains of cornices with wonderful carvings that struck the porch of the visitor privodat discouraged.
In the 50 years of the XIX century the church was renovated , the floor is paved with limestone slabs again , in the west chapel was erected , and erected a small dome on the rotunda . At the same time the church was turned into a tomb.Here are buried the last dukes of Abkhazia Mikhail Shervashidze, his son George , a poet and public figure , the Abkhaz military leaders and the dr .
In 1920, the cathedral of Mokvsky been abducted and taken abroad precious Gospel that belonged to the Archbishop Mokvsky department.It was written by 328 sheets and decorated with miniatures and ornaments executed Mokvsky monk Ephraim when Archbishop Daniel Mokvsky in 1300. In the 80 years of XX century.
Mokvsky gospel was restored in the USSR and is now kept in the manuscript department of the Museum of Fine Arts in Tbilisi, Georgia .
In 2002 Mokvsky Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary re-opened . Sixth and seventh of October, at the official opening was celebrated Vespers and Divine Liturgy.
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