SKURI CHURCH

Skuri Church of the Transfiguration is located in the Samegrelo province, nestled in a picturesque gorge 15 km northeast of Tsalenjikha. It stands in a small field surrounded by wooded mountains, harmonizing beautifully with its natural setting. The exact construction date of the church is unknown, but its architectural features suggest it was built in the late thirteenth century.

Skuri Church, as viewed from the south-east

The church is a single-nave structure, of a rectangular ground plan, with a sanctuary apse at the eastern end. The longitudinal walls are articulated by two pairs of pilasters. The apse contains two large, symmetrically positioned circular niches, likely intended for liturgical purposes, serving as the prothesis and diaconicon. These niches are covered with high, egg-shaped vaults and are illuminated by windows cut into the eastern wall.

Interior view, looking east

Skuri is one of the largest single-nave churches in Georgia, notable for its imposing architectural forms. The monumentality of the structure is highlighted by three giant doors, each reaching a height of three meters and adorned with ornamental frames.

Western door

A distinctive feature of the church is the unusual distribution of its windows. It has three windows on each side, and, in each wall, all three windows are positioned at the same level. Frames with rounded tops adorn all windows.

Skuri Church, as viewed from the south-west

The façades are faced with large, smoothly hewn rectangular slabs that fit together precisely. The inner masonry, in contrast, is composed of smaller, irregularly shaped stones, suggesting the interior was originally intended to be plastered - although almost nothing of this plaster remains today.

Western façade 

On the southern and northern sides, the church has contemporaneous side chapels that exhibit building techniques and decorative elements similar to those of the main structure. To the west, there was once an arched porch in front of the door.

By the twentieth century, the church had fallen into a state of disrepair, with visible cracks and sections missing. In the 1970s, its vault and upper walls collapsed. However, in 2014, the church underwent a full restoration, excluding the western porch, with extensive use of its original stones.