Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi

The Sameba Cathedral (Georgian სამების ტაძარი, " Trinity Cathedral ") is a church building in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. She is one of the main churches of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church, with the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, seat of their patriarch. It is the largest church building in Transcaucasia.

The cathedral was built in 1996-2004 by the architect Archil Mindiaschwili. The design was chosen in a 1989 acclaim from the Orthodox church architectural competition among over 100 proposals. The construction was financed by the Georgian businessman Bidsina Ivanishvili and was considered a " symbol of national and religious revival of Georgia ".

The cathedral stands in the center of Tbilisi on the Elias hill on the left bank of the Kura near the old town. On their nine -acre site, the residence of the Georgian Catholicos - Patriarch and Archbishop of Mtskheta -Tbilisi, a monastery, a seminary and a theological college are housed.

The cathedral is a mixture of Georgian church building styles. She has a cross-shaped floor plan. The dome is above the intersection and rests on eight columns. The proportions of the church are independent of the apse, so give a more monumental impression. The dome is topped by a 7.5 meter high gilded cross. The height of the building from the ground to the top of the cross is 84 meters. The interior consists of 56 x 44 m. The building, including the narthex, a total area of ​​5,000 square meters. The volume summarizes 137 cubic meters.

The Sameba Cathedral consists of nine chapels. They are dedicated to the Archangels, John the Baptist, the Holy Nino, Saint George, Saint Nicholas of Myra, the apostles and all the saints. Five of the chapels are housed in a large basement. The cathedral also has a free-standing bell tower.

Exclusively natural stone was used for the construction. The floor is lined with marble slabs. The altar is decorated with a mosaic, the walls with frescoes a group of artists led by Amiran Goglidze.