Remains of another early Christian church discovered near Nagzauri monastery complex in Dmanisi

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a previously unknown chapel just west of the early Christian Nagzauri monastery complex (5th–8th centuries) near the village of Gantiadi in Dmanisi municipality, the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia has announced.

According to the agency, the find opens fresh avenues for studying early Christian ecclesiastical architecture and monastic life in the Kvemo Kartli region.

“The newly identified structure is built of large stones, with walls up to 1.5 metres thick standing to a surviving height of 1.3 metres. At this stage of the excavation, archaeologists have examined the church’s main nave and apse. Architectural details preserved inside the church are of particular interest, notably fragments of the ambo and an altar screen niche. In the centre of the main nave, researchers uncovered a stone column base that likely supported a timber roof structure. A roof tile fragment was also found at floor level, indicating that tile was likewise a primary roofing material for the building,” the agency said in a statement.

The Nagzauri complex is one of Kvemo Kartli’s major archaeological sites. It belongs to the early medieval group of churches and shares architectural parallels with other early monastic monuments across Georgia; enclosed within a single perimeter wall, the site housed several churches alongside domestic and agricultural buildings.

The National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia has funded excavations at the Nagzauri complex since 2025.