Bolnisi Sioni

The Church of Sioni in the village of Bolnisi is the oldest three-nave basilica in Georgia and one of the oldest sacred buildings in the country. In addition to its religious, cultural and architectural significance, the Church of Sioni in Bolnisi is of great epigraphic importance, as the oldest historical evidence of Georgian writing in Georgia has been preserved on the facades of this church.

The name

It is common in Orthodoxy for churches to be named after certain holy places. This particular church was named after Mount Zion, and because it is located in the village of Bolnisi, it is also known as the Sioni Church of Bolnisi, or Bolnisis Sioni.

In general, all Sioni churches in Georgia are dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, and the church in Bolnisi is no exception. 

The oldest inscription in the country

Three different inscriptions dating from 478-493 are carved into the stones of the church. Two of them are on the northern side and one on the eastern side.

The inscriptions tell us the exact year the church was built, its founders and under whose reign it was built. These inscriptions are the oldest in Georgia, but in general the oldest Georgian inscription was found far away from Georgia, in the monastery of Palestine, the inscription is dated 433.

Original inscriptions from Bolnisi are exhibited in the National Museum of Georgia and a copy has been placed in the church.

Bolnisi Cross

There is a 5th century cross symbol on the church, which is used as a national symbol in Georgia.

The same symbol gave rise to the cross variants used during the Crusades, the Maltese Cross and (via the Jerusalem Cross and the Black Cross of the Teutonic Order) the Iron Cross used by the German military.

The cross symbols in the Georgian flag are slightly modified Bolnisi crosses.

Architectural features

Length: 27.8 metres. Width: 24.5 metres. Height: 11 metres.

Architecturally, Bolnisi's Sioni belongs to a three-nave basilica. Such churches were built in Georgia from the end of the 5th century and Bolnisi's Sioni is the oldest of them all.

Although in general architectural style the Sioni is a Byzantine Basilica, it differs from classical basilicas in several areas. For example, the central nave is not prominent and dominantly higher than the two side naves, as is the case in Roman architecture. The church also does not have the western entrance, where everything is oriented in a straight line to the east, but two from the north and one from the south; the western entrance was only added to the church in the 17th century. Sioni also has no narthex, and the side aisles have columns and arches instead of architraves and columns.

Originally, there was neither a sacristy nor a room for proskomidia in the interior; these were added in the 6th century.

Another peculiarity of the church is that it has a separate room for baptism.

Facades and interior

At the time when the Sioni Church of Bolnisi was built, the decoration of the external façades was not very important, but the interior is decorated with various ornaments, crosses, geometric figures, animals and plants. Interesting are also the bulls' heads with the cross on their foreheads, as a sign of a combination of pagan and Christian symbols.

The interior was painted in the 17th century during the reign of King Giorgi XI, when the entire church was renovated.

When the Sioni Church of Bolnisi was built, Georgia was officially independent, both politically and ecclesiastically, but unofficially the country was still under Persian influence, and Persian elements can still be clearly seen in the interior of the church, in the vaulted arches.

The Persian influence in the country is also explained by the fact that the famous Bolnisi inscription does not mention the Georgian king, but the Persian Great King Peroz I.

The Bell Tower

The brick bell tower was built in the 17th century by order of King Giorgi XI. Information about the year of construction and the donor of the tower can be found in the inscription on the inside of the tower façade.

A brief history of the church

The Sioni Church of Bolnisi was built in 478-493, during the reign of King Vakhtang. This was a period of radical change in Georgian history.

After several uprisings against Persia, King Vakhtang managed to free the country from Persian influence and achieve autocephaly (ecclesiastical independence) for the Georgian Church. He had several churches built and established 12 dioceses, including one in Bolnisi.

As a clear sign of a new beginning in the 5th century, King Vakhtang moved the capital of the kingdom from Mtskheta to Tbilisi.

Bolnisi Sioni was an important religious and cultural centre for centuries, where many books were written and manuscripts copied. In the 10th century, for example, the most important representative of Georgian homiletics (the art of dealing with people), John Bolneli, was active here.

In the course of time, some changes were made to the church, for example, in the 6th century, the side rooms were built to the left and right of the altar, and in the 8th century, a small chapel was added to the eastern wall of the church as an additional prayer room.

The church also had to be restored and renovated several times, especially after Persian raids in the 17th century, when it was badly damaged. The church was rebuilt in the same century by the Georgian Queen Mariam and King Rostom, who also decorated the western entrance.

At the end of the 17th century, King Giorgi XI had the interior of the church painted and the bell tower built.

In the 18th century Bolnisis was often the target of attacks by North Caucasian irregulars from Dagestan. The village was largely abandoned by the locals and the church had to be closed for several years.

The last major renovation of Bolnisis Sioni took place in 1970-71, and the church was reopened as a place of worship in 1989, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and regular services have been held here ever since.