Tetritskaro municipality – Kabeni Monastery

17 August 2017

Kabeni Monastery - a monument of Georgian architecture. Monastery complex situated in the valley of Asuretistskali river. Complex included: Holy Dormition large domed temple, small hall churches of Simeon the Stylite and Archangel Michael. According to paintings and photos still preserved today, Kabeni temple was a prominent monument of Georgian architecture of the first half of XIII century. It repeated the layout of Betania domed temple with small changes (interior was arranged in the same way) but at the same time it was drastically different from it by facade decorating system which repeated Samtavis-Ikorta temples decorative system.

Outside the monastery fence, on northeast side there is a small hall church built by pieces of stone.  Fences are decorated with well-carved quadras of yellow stone. Decoration is carried out according to the decorative system of XII-XIII centuries. According to the inscription on the eastern fence,  sons of Giorgi Kabeni – Nikoloz, Vasil, Okropiri and Grigol – finished building the earlier started church during the reign of Tamar of Georgia (end of the XII and beginning of the XIII century).