The Katskhi pillar (Georgian: კაცხის სვეტი, kac'xis svet'i) is a natural limestone monolith located at the village of Katskhi in western Georgian region of Imereti, near the town of Chiatura. It is approximately 40 metres (130 ft) high, and overlooks the small river valley of Katskhura, a right affluent of the Q'virila.[1]
The rock, with visible church ruins on a top surface measuring c. 150 m2, has been venerated by locals as the Pillar of Life and a symbol of the True Cross, and has become surrounded by legends. It remained unclimbed by researchers and unsurveyed until 1944 and was more systematically studied from 1999 to 2009. These studies determined the ruins were of an early medieval hermitage dating from the 9th or 10th century. A Georgian inscription paleographically dated to the 13th century suggests that the hermitage was still extant at that time.[1] Religious activity associated with the pillar was revived in the 1990s[2] and the monastery building had been restored within the framework of a state-funded program by 2009.[3]
^Bardzimashvili, Temo (August 27, 2010), Georgian Monk Builds Stairway to Heaven. Eurasianet.org. Accessed May 12, 2012.
^National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia (2009), Rehabilitation of the Monuments of Georgia Archived 2013-10-17 at the Wayback Machine, p. 142. Heritagesites.ge. Accessed May 12, 2012.
The Katskhipillar (Georgian: კაცხის სვეტი, kac'xis svet'i) is a natural limestone monolith located at the village of Katskhi in western Georgian region...
the Orthodox Church, has lived on top of KatskhiPillar for 20 years, coming down only twice a week. This pillar is a natural rock formation jutting upward...
des Doms, Avignon Étretat, Normandy Cassis, near Marseille, Provence KatskhiPillar List of rock formations in the Harz Battert Rocks, Baden-Baden, Black...
The Katskhi Monastery of Nativity of the Savior (Georgian: კაცხის მაცხოვრის შობის სახელობის მონასტერი), more commonly known as the Katskhi Monastery (კაცხის...
Mkhare (region) From the top to bottom-right: Kutaisi, Okatse Canyon, KatskhiPillar, Sulori Gorge, Tkibuli Reservoir Overlapping borders of de jure Imereti...
(Georgia, 2017)". Cinetalk.net. 14 November 2017. "Chiatura Cable Cars and KatskhiPillar - Stairway to Heaven - Georgian Tour Magazine". Georgian Tour Magazine...
influence Kvatakhevi monastery Betania Monastery Pitareti Monastery KatskhiPillar Danish Golden Age Dutch Golden Age Islamic Golden Age Polish Golden...
Chiatura Municipality ჭიათურის მუნიციპალიტეტი Municipality Katskhipillar Flag Seal Chiatura Municipality within Georgia Country Georgia Region Imereti...
svet'icxovlis sak'atedro t'adzari; literally the Cathedral of the Living Pillar) is an Orthodox Christian cathedral located in the historic town of Mtskheta...
32 facets, holding the dome. Thus, the dome rests on the walls, not on pillars, like in later churches, creating a single, entire space, and illusion...
wall and two freely standing pillars (a more advanced design that appeared after the 11th century). Transition from the pillars to the tholobate is via pointed...
is a typical example of a cross-in-square temple. Its dome rests on two pillars and the projecting walls of the altar apsidal. Being a later reconstruction...
and had a window in the roof. The whole structure was held by central pillar. The settlement grew larger and, in the 4th century BC became a city with...
corners of the altar and two hexangular (octangular by other sources) pillars. The pillars have bases and capitals, and the transitional arches, resting on...
its three projecting apses in the east facade and the four freestanding pillars supporting the cupola within. The church is made of brick and dressed stone...
shifted to the east, rests upon the two westerly located freely standing pillars and ledges of the altar. The southern entrance portal is fronted by the...
implemented. A bilingual Greco-Georgian inscription on the south-western pillar reveals that the interior of the church was frescoed by Cyrus Emanuel Eugenicus...
series of earthquakes, when the dome and partially the western wall and the pillars collapsed. According to the inscription on the western façade, above the...
five interior apses, from which rise the massive dome, resting upon half-pillar shaped apse projections. It is abundantly lit by the twelve windows of the...
architectural details are notable for high craftsmanship and artistry. Round pillars, located within the span of the apses and galleries, were provided with...
apses projecting on the east. Its dome rests upon the two freely standing pillars and ledges of the altar. Later, two – the western and southern – portals...
at that time. Another interesting feature can be seen on the interior pillars. Their moulding is made of baguettes, separated by horizontal stripes....
is nearly a square, with the dome resting upon 2 freely standing pillars and 2 pillars fused with the ledges of the altar. The internal space of the church...
inside, and has five facets in the outside. The dome is raised on four pillars, which are in the centre of the buildings. The sail is the way to move...
same quantity are cut. The cupola is based on two separately standing pillars in the west, and on the apses in the east. The eastern arm of the cross...