THE FORMATION OF THE SACRED SPACES IN THE FIRST GEORGIAN CHURCHES AND THE ISSUES OF THE CHRISTIANIZATION OF THE KARTLI KINGDOM

Abstract

In the two Christian temples of the 4th-5th centuries – grandiose basilicas of Chabukauri and Dolochopi archaeologically discovered by us, have been confirmed quite unusual structures for Georgian churches. In particular, in their central naves
between the 3rd and the 4th pair of columns from the east, specifically in the center of naves, are arranged stone-box type ossuaries. In the first case (Chabukauri), this stone tomb contained bony remains of several dead with a clear indication of the
secondary barial (in the Monastic order) of the dismembered parts. In the second case (Dolochopi) one individual, most probably a high-ranking clergyman (Perhaps even the bishop who built this temple) was buried with a special honor with
his head resting on the stone alter and his consecrating right hand raised. Around the both of these tombs were confirmed the remains of the foundations of the unusual structures arranged during the burial, which, unlike these ossuaries, were demolished later. Thus, it is probable, that in the both temples there were at least somewhat elevated platform-like structures in the center of the naves, with the holy parts placed under the foundation.
It’s worth mentioning in this context that in the ancient Christian basilicas of the early Byzantine world, especially in the northern and western Syria, one of the necessary components of the churches was the stone or wooden bema, i.e. a raised, stone or wooden platform, from which certain prayers were offered by the clergymen who were actively envolved in the litany. There can be found remains of circular, semi-circular and square-plan stages – most of them were removed later due to the change of the canon of liturgy. However, on some of them were preserved the remains of the royal thrones facing the canopy and the alter. The researchers have determined that if the Christian temple in general symbolically embodies the model of the world, the bema standing in its center was identified with both Jerusalem and Golgotha and possibly, the tomb of Jesus Christ. As it seems, this kind of symbolism of the bema caused the fact, that the parts of saints or the tombs arranged under the archaeologically studied Syrian monuments of this type, were found in many places. Some well-known researchers of the early
Syrian churches even claim that a large number of the small temples with the bema are actually martyriums. Of course, the large churches with the bema probably did not only have the function of the saint mausoleums, but similar to the lower crypt
of the sanctuary, in the crypts arranged under the platforms for this purpose, the ordering of the saint parts or the arrangement of tombs seems to have been a very common phenomenon, and not only in Syria. Considering this fact, we can not rule out that the stone ossuaries found in the center of the naos of the Chabukauri and Dolochopi temples with many plan elements, just like the early basilicas of northwestern Syria might have been arranged under the wooden bema that was once
erected here in the manner of the Syriac analogies.